I Won't Give Up On Us
by lovelifeandwatermelons
Summary: When Jack receives a scholarship offer from the Otai Academy, he decides to take it and leave his friends and his home behind. What will happen? Follow Jack, Kim, and the gang as they go through the ups and downs of this sudden change in their lives. Originally a oneshot, changed to a story. Please read and review!
1. Goodbye, Seaford

**Hey guys! I just wrote out what I thought would happen if Jack actually went to the Otai Academy in the episode 'Hit the Road, Jack'. This one goes out to KarateGirl77, who requested it. Hope you enjoy!**

**Jack's POV**

I can't believe I'm leaving Seaford, the first place I've been that I can actually call home. This is so surreal. I look out the window until the ground disappears beneath me. I can see the mall, and my house, and Kim's house, and the school. Goodbye, Seaford. Tears spring to my eyes. Goodbye, Kim. Then, I remember the letter she gave me. I wonder if she's reading mine now. I open my bag and take out the letter, then open the envelope she decorated with stickers. I smile.

_Dear Jack,_

_If you're reading this, you're probably on the plane right now. I don't really know how to tell you this, so I'm going to come right out and say it. I love you. And not just as a friend, but as more than that. I know I always denied it, but that's because I didn't want to ruin the amazing friendship we have._

_ I never thought it would come to this- that you'd be moving to a different country hundreds of miles away, and that I'd be stuck in same old, boring Seaford. Which, for the record, is going to be even more boring now that you're gone. _

_ I'm gonna miss you way more than you think, and if I'd known last week or even last month that you'd be moving, I'd have found the guts to tell you how I really feel about you. But now you're leaving in less than 10 minutes, and it's too late for that, so I'm pouring my heart out to you in this letter instead. Pathetic, huh? _

_I would've told you that every time I see you laughing with another girl, I die a little inside because I want so badly for that to be me, and I can't make it be. Now, you're going to meet a beautiful, amazing girl and fall in love with her, and I'm just going to become that girl you used to know way back when. _

_I'm never going to forget the day I first met you. Remember? That was almost cool. I'm Kim. And that was just the beginning. All those times I spent with you, at Phil's , or sparring at the dojo, or even just laughing about random things? I'll never forget those either. They've all got a special spot in my heart. You're the best friend- and crush- that I could ever ask for. _

_I understand if you don't feel the same about me- after all, almost all the girls at school have a crush on you! But, even if I never hear from you again, at least I know that you got to find out how I truly feel about you. I just hope knowing this doesn't kill our friendship._

_Thank you for always being there for me. I'll always have your back; no matter when or where you are, I'll always be here for you when you need me, Jack._

_Forever yours, Kim._

I finish reading, with tears in my eyes. Kim.. She felt the same way about me, all this time? I turn the envelope over and something falls out.

It's a beautiful bracelet, with my a message engraved inside it: I'll always be your biggest fan, no matter how far away you are. Love always, Kim Crawford.

I slide it onto my wrist, then pick up the other item that fell out. It's a picture of Kim and I, after one of our tournaments. We're smiling like crazy because we both just won our fights.

I tuck everything except the bracelet back into my backpack and fall asleep. It's a long, long way to Japan.

** What did you think? If you liked it, I can write what I think Jack's letter would say, too, and maybe turn this into a story, but it's your choice. If you want me to continue, just review telling me so. Thanks for reading and please go check out my other book, The Story of Us! Review please!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	2. Jack's letter

**Since I got a bunch of requests to turn this into a story, I wrote another chapter, and here it is now! Thank you to everyone who reviewed- it totally made my day. Also, as promised, my shoutout:**

**BrennaStar100**

**Thanks for being wonderful! Now, on to the story.**

**Kim's POV**

It's been about three hours since I said goodbye to Jack. About fifteen minutes after he left, he sent me a text message that would be his last for a very long time.

_Hey, Kimmy. Just wanted to say that I miss you already. I really want to read your letter, but saving it for the plane. Since I don't get reception or wifi at Otai, this is going to be the last text message you get from me in a long time. It's gonna kill me not seeing you every day. –J_

I texted him back, _It's gonna kill me, too. Promise you'll find some way to talk to me? Miss you too. –K_

_I promise. Gotta go now. Bye –J_

_Bye. –K_

I look around at the dojo. Milton, Jerry and Eddie have already left. This place is never going to be the same again without Jack. Even if we get another black belt to help me out at tournaments, Jack's irreplaceable. I don't think we're going to find anyone like him- ever.

I glance at my watch. Jack's plane took off one minute ago. I run outside and see it passing overhead. I wave, although I know he can't see me. _Goodbye, Jack_, I think. _Please don't forget me._

His plane disappears from my sight, and I can't help but feel like someone just tore a chunk out of my heart. I feel the tears coming, so I run back inside the mall and, once I'm inside the dojo and I'm sure no one can see me, I crumple onto the floor and cry.

I cry and cry, and after what seems likeforever, I stand up and dry my tears. My mom's probably wondering why I'm not home yet, so I grab my teal shoulder bag and close up the dojo, thinking, _this used to be Jack's job_.

I almost start crying again, but somehow I manage to hold in my tears. For the entire walk home, I can't stop thinking about Jack. I can't shake the feeling that, after a year or two, he's going to change and I'm not going to know him anymore.

When I get home, I go straight up to my room. The house feels empty. I wonder where my mom is. Jack's usually with me when I get home- after all, he is my next-door neighbor and we're always over at each other's houses.

I open my curtains and look through Jack's window at his empty room. His house looks so… dead. It's so unlike how I'm used to seeing it. They haven't managed to sell it yet- which I'm glad for. I don't think I could handle looking through Jack's window and seeing someone else's things. On his front yard, a 'For Sale' sign stands isolated and alone, matching the mood of the house.

I sit down on my bed and sigh. Then, I remember Jack's letter. When he gave it to me, I was a little shocked that he'd done the same thing as I had. He's probably reading mine right now. I smile a little, then unzip my bag and take out his letter.

There's a few things in the envelope- a silver locket, two photos, and a letter.

The locket's the most beautiful piece of jewelry I've ever seen. It's heart shaped with a purple mother-of-pearl center, and when I open it, I find a tiny picture him hugging me and the words, 'No matter how far away I am, you'll always be in my heart. Love, Jack Brewer'.

"It's beautiful." I breathe. Then I look at the photos.

One photo is of the gang and us at Falafel Phil's. Jack and I are standing in the middle, and he's got his arms around me. The other is of just us, at the mall, sharing a cinnamon bun. The memories make me smile, and then, I take out the letter.

It's written in purple ink- my favorite color.

_Dear Kim,_

_I miss you already. While you're reading this, I'm probably sitting on the plane thinking of you. I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to you already- I always assumed that we'd go to the same school until at least twelfth grade. _

_I never saw this scholarship coming, but you know it's too good of an opportunity to pass up. I might never get an offer like this again, and I hope you understand why I had to go. _

_I also hope you know that it wasn't easy saying goodbye to Seaford, the dojo, everyone I know, and most of all, the most amazing girl I've ever met. _

_I fell for this girl the first time I saw her. She likes extreme sports and is beautiful, funny, smart and fun to be around. I can be myself around her and not have to worry about what she'll think, because on top of all that, she's my best friend. This girl's name is Kimberly Anne Beulah Crawford. _

_Yes, that's right, Kim. I'm talking about you. YOU are the most amazing girl I've ever met. I never had the guts to tell you this, but I love you. I don't know if you feel the same way about me, and I want you to know that I totally understand if you don't._

_ I don't think I'm ever going to find another girl who makes me as happy as you do, even when I'm not with you. Even just thinking about you puts a smile on my face, and I'll be thinking of you often in Japan. I hope you'll think of me, too._

_You've been the best friend to me that I could ever possibly ask for, and I hope that doesn't change even though I'm moving so far away. I hope that we can still find a way to communicate, especially since there won't be any WiFi or cell phone service at Otai._

_I'm gonna miss you and the guys so so so much. I'll try to visit at least once a year, but I'm not sure if my schedule will allow for that. If it does, I promise you'll be the first one I call when I get cell service. _

_I just want you to know how amazing I think you are before you fall in love with another guy and it's too late. So, I'll say it again. Kim, I think you're amazing and I'm going to miss you more than you could imagine. I promise to think of you every day, and I won't let this distance tear our friendship apart. We may be miles away from each other, but you'll always be in my heart and I hope I'll stay in yours. _

_ Your best friend, Jack Brewer._

I finish reading the letter, and I'm smiling even bigger now. Jack likes me, too!? I can hardly believe it. I squeal and pick up my phone to text Grace, then reality crashes over me and I sit down. It doesn't matter anymore, because Jack's not here. And that thought is all it takes to make me burst once again into bittersweet tears.

**Hope you liked it, and please review! Thanks for reading.**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	3. Welcome to the Otai Academy!

**Another chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

**Jack's POV**

I get my first glimpse of Japan through the tiny airplane window beside me. Two thoughts immediately pop into my mind. The first is, _Wow, that's beautiful_. The second is, _I wish Kim were here with me to see this. She'd love it_.

The plane touches down on Japanese ground and I step into the airport. Just like my first impression of Japan, the airport is also beautiful.

Five hours later, I'm in a car headed for the Otai Academy. It seems like I've been in the car forever, and on the way, I read Kim's letter over and over. Reading what she wrote makes me smile, because I know that she's likely read my letter by now. Knowing Kim, she's probably ecstatic.

I can't stop reading her words over and over again. Right now, everything in that envelope is all I have left of Kim- at least, besides memories. I already know that, out of all of my friends, I'm definitely going to miss her the most.

Three hours later, the car finally slows to a stop in front of a huge stone castle that looks like it belongs in the dark ages. Wow, no wonder they have no wifi or phone signals here. I open the car door and step out, wincing at the soreness in my legs from sitting still for too long.

The car is parked near the edge of a cliff, on the side of a dusty road. We have to cross the road to get to the Academy. I peek furtively over the edge of the cliff, just to see what's there, and I gasp.

It's the most breathtaking scenery I have ever seen in my life. The cliff overlooks a beautiful green valley with houses dotting it. I can see so much from here.

There's a lake in the distance, mirroring the sky, and mountains on the horizon. We're up so high that I'm almost in the clouds, so the view is rather limited- I have to squint through the mist- but it's still amazing.

I tear my eyes away and focus on the castle, my new home for the foreseeable future. It could be worse, I think as I walk across the dirt road, suitcase in hand. At least there's a mailing service; even though it probably costs more than normal to send a letter, Kim's totally worth it.

**Kim's POV**

I walk into the dojo. School ended an hour ago, and Milton and Jerry are sparring on the mat. Milton throws a punch at Jerry, then Jerry grabs Milton's arm. He flips Milton and Milton groans.

"Did you really have to do it that hard again? Have some mercy, brother!" Milton says from the ground.

"Sorry, bro, no can do." Jerry grins.

The atmosphere in the dojo is so different without Jack. I glance at his now- empty locker and sigh. He's probably arrived at the Academy by now, after hours and hours of sitting on an airplane and riding in a car. I wonder what he's doing right now.

**Jack's POV**

I glance at my watch just as I walk through the huge, medieval-style doors. Kim and the guys are at the dojo right now. I wonder what they're doing. I miss home already.

I look around and gasp again. Wow, Japan is seriously the most beautiful place I've ever been. The floor of the lobby is dark cherry-red wood, and there are intricate rugs on the ground, with a few upholstered chairs and coffee tables set up.

I walk over to a glass door labeled 'OFFICE', and put down my bags, then tentatively open it. It opens without even a squeak. Inside is a brunette about my age with long hair. She's wearing a grey hoodie, and reading a thick novel. She looks up when I come in.

"Hi, I'm Jack Brewer, I'm new here." I say awkwardly, and smile at her. She smiles back.

"Hi, I'm Lauren", she says. "Jack Brewer? Oh, I have your folder right here." She opens a cabinet, then hands me a folder. "That's your schedule, map, list of school rules and expectations, and a few more other things you might need."

"School map?" I ask her.

"Yes, map. The Academy is very large and there are many new students who get lost inside the school, so lately the administration has been providing maps for new students, to clear up any confusion." Lauren says.

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Lauren." I say, then add, "Hey, are you a student here?"

"Yes, I am. Maybe I'll see you around sometime, Jack Brewer. Good luck on your first day here!"

"Okay, thanks. See you sometime! Bye." I say and walk through the door. At least I know someone already. Not bad for the first day.

As soon as I leave the office, I unfold the map. Two other maps fall out of the first one. Wow, this place is huge. I sit down at one of the coffee tables and spread out the maps. I soon figure out that each map is for a different floor. There's the ground floor, the second floor, and the third floor.

The fourth floor is restricted to students, with special exceptions. As I open the map for a third floor, yet another map falls out. I feel like this is like, those little Russian dolls. You know, the ones where you open the first, biggest one, then you keep on finding more and more inside as you open each layer? Like those. I wonder how many more maps there are.

I look over the maps. The boys' dorm rooms are on the second floor. That's probably where I should go first. I grab my bags and hold the map out in front of me. Just then, a petite girl with short blonde hair wearing a Yankees baseball cap backwards bounces into the lobby. She's so tiny, she looks eleven years old.

"Hi, I'm Elodie. Are you Jack Brewer?" She asks me, sticking out her hand for me to shake. I shake her hand. Her nails are painted black.

"Yeah, I'm Jack." I say.

"Welcome to the Otai Academy! I'm your guide. For the first few weeks, I'm supposed to take you where you need to go and show you around the school. It seems huge at first, but trust me, you get used to it." She tells me. I figure if she's my guide, she's got to be at least fifteen years old. I did a lot of reading up on the Academy before I came, so I know a lot about it.

Everyone I've met here seems pretty friendly so far. I have a feeling I'm going to like it here.

"I'm supposed to show you to your dorm room first. Follow me!" And with that, she skips away. I follow her, struggling to keep up. She talks nonstop the entire way.

**So, what did you think? This story's gonna be quite a bit slower updating, since I'm really busy with one of my other stories. I hope you enjoyed, and please review!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons.**


	4. Jack's New Home

**Back with another chapter! Hope you like.**

**Jack's POV**

Elodie finally stops in front of a wooden door with a plaque on it that reads, '54'.

"This is your dorm room." She says. I just stand there, awkwardly. She giggles. "You can go in, you know."

"Oh, right." I say. I turn the doorknob, but it refuses to budge. I look at Elodie, who smiles sheepishly.

"Oops, sorry, I forgot." She reaches into her pocket and hands me a brass key. I stick the key in and turn the knob again. The door swings open, and I step into what's going to be my home away from home for the next four years.

In the far right and left corners are two identical twin beds made of wood, with no bedspreads and two pillows sitting on each one. In the two corners closer to me are two desks- on the right, a black desk, and on the left, a wooden desk, both with chairs tucked into them.

In between the two beds are two bedside tables, each with a lamp, a clock, and a phone on them. The walls on the sides of the room are each taken up by a door to what is probably a closet, and above the beds are two windows covered with curtains- on the right, green, and on the left, blue. In the center of the room is a large, patterned rug.

I turn to Elodie and ask her the obvious question.

"Do I have a roommate?" I ask, praying the answer is no. Not that I have any problems with rooming with anyone, I just want to get settled without anyone bothering me if possible, you know?

Elodie checks a sheet of paper I didn't even realize she was carrying until now.

"Nope, just you for now." I sigh in relief. "Well, I'll leave you to get settled, and I'll be back to take you on a tour of the school in about forty minutes." She closes the door as she leaves, and I immediately unzip my bag.

Which side of the room should I pick- the right, or the left? I choose the right, because the curtains are exactly the same shade of green that the Wasabi Warriors' gis are trimmed with. It reminds me of home.

Most of my clothes and some of my other belongings are coming in a shipment in about a week, so I only have a week's worth of clothing. I open the closet doors to put my clothes away.

Inside is a wooden chest of drawers, a few shelves and cubicles, and a bar for hangers, as well as a floor-length mirror on the inside of the door. Wow, this closet is even more impressive than mine at home.

I organize my folded clothes and put them in the drawers. Kim always said that I was as organized as a girl- well, at least, my closet. "Can't say much about everything else," she had said. I smile at the memory.

Then, I take out the green bedsheets, the white comforter, and the pillowcases that I brought from home. I make the bed, and unpack some of my other belongings and put them in my bedside table's drawers. After some thought, Kim's letter and the bracelet she made me go in there, too.

My writing utensils, paper, envelopes and stamps go in a drawer on my desk. I'll write a letter to Kim tonight, if I have time.

After a while, everything's unpacked except for a yellow manila envelope at the bottom of my suitcase. I open it, and carefully dump the contents onto my desk.

Pictures and memories come tumbling out of the yellow paper envelope. There's a picture of Jerry stuffing falafel balls into his mouth after practice one day at Phil's, and one of Milton after he won the Seaford spelling bee.

There's one of Eddie when he got his orange belt, and even one of Rudy right after he punched the wall, his face contorted in pain.

I sort through the pictures of the guys, until I get to a stack that's all of Kim- Kim eating ice cream, Kim with lip gloss on right before she met Ricky Weaver, Kim flipping Jerry, and many more.

I pick a few pictures of her, and one of each of the guys, then take out a ball of sticky tack and tack the pictures to the inside of my closet door, opposite the mirror. As an afterthought, I add one of the whole gang plus Rudy, Phil, Mika, Julie and Tootsie in the center of all the photos.

I sit down on my bed and look around. My room already looks more like home than it did before. I could get used to this place.

I walk over to my desk and pull out a sheet of paper and a pen. I begin to write a letter to Kim.

_Dear Kim, _I write. I tap my pen on the desk. What should I say?

_I finally arrived at the Otai Academy after a really long car trip from the airport to the Academy. I miss you already and you would love the view from up here- we're basically on a mountain, so you'd be able to see the entire valley. I wish you were here to see it- it's amazing. _

_I'm writing you this letter from my new dorm room. I've got no roommate yet, so it's just me for now. It's pretty impressive for a dorm- the closet is even better than mine at home! Which reminds me, has the house been sold yet? It's a bummer that my grandma went to live with my mom- if she didn't, we wouldn't have had to sell the house. I hope the people who buy it are at least good neighbors to you._

_ This place is huge. Like, literally, huge. I've barely seen anything yet, but I will soon. One of my new friends is taking me on a tour of the place in about five minutes. Her name is Elodie and I think you'd like her a lot. Don't worry, we're just friends- you're the only girl I see. _

_ How's life back in Seaford? It's gonna be weird not going to the dojo every day, even though technically I'm going to a dojo every day here. The Bobby Wasabi Dojo is just like my second home, you know?_

_ Oh, and how are the guys doing? Tell them and Rudy I said hi, please? And good luck with your tournament against the Black Dragons. Go and kick some butt! Haha. I know you'll beat them all. Bring back the trophy for me? _

_ I've gotta soon, so I'm gonna finish the letter here. I miss you so much you don't even know. I don't know how I'm gonna get through four years without seeing you. I'll write you another letter as soon as I can._

_ Sincerely, Jack_

As I end the letter, I hear a knock on the door. I quickly put the letter in an envelope, scrawl out Kim's address, and add a few stamps, then stick the letter in my pocket.

"Jack, are you ready for your tour of the Otai Academy yet?" Elodie's voice calls out from behind my closed door.

"Yeah," I say, walking towards the door. Then, I remember something and turn around. Running back to my bedside table, I open a drawer and slip Kim's bracelet on.

I walk back to the door and join Elodie in the hallway. Her hat is gone.

"Hey, Elodie. Where's your hat?" I ask her as we walk down the hallway.

"Oh, it's actually Lauren's. We're roomies and sometimes I like borrowing her hats. She has at least fifteen. The girl is obsessed with hats, especially baseball caps. Says they remind her of home." Elodie replies.

"Okay. Where are we going first?" I ask.

"First I'm gonna take you to the dining hall, then the main courtyard, then the smaller courtyards. Oh, and I'm supposed to show you the shops, the classrooms, and all the training areas, but we're probably going to stop at lots of other places along the way. The Academy is huge."

"Wow. That's a lot of places to see." I say.

"Yep." Elodie replies as we descend down the carpeted stairs.

"Hey, did you say we were going to courtyards? I thought this was like, a castle, meaning that everything's indoors." I say.

"Oh, from the outside it looks like a huge castle, but what a lot of people don't know is that's actually just the walls.

Inside, it's basically like a little town, which is why we don't have to travel down the mountain very often. In fact, I know some kids that haven't left the Academy for up to three years, because we have everything we could need up here."

"Three years." I say in wonder. "Wow, that's a long time to stay in one place." I wonder to myself if I'm going to be able to see Kim. If some kids haven't left for that long of a time, what are the chances I'm going to be able to visit Seaford and Kim?

"Yep." Elodie says as we reach the bottom of the stairs, where she pulls open a mahogany door and steps outside into what looks just like an old-fashioned, cobblestone-paved street, minus the horse carriages. I follow her outside, looking around in wonder.

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	5. A Tour of the Academy

**Hi, I'm back with another chapter! Hope you enjoy.**

**Elodie's POV**

Jack looks like he's never seen a cobblestone road before. Oh, that's probably because he hasn't. I keep on forgetting he's new here, since I've already been here for about a year. I'm actually pretty surprised they let me sign up to be a tour guide for new students. It probably has something to do with my grades, though.

Jack follows me to the dining hall. If he was surprised at the road, wait till he sees this! I walk up to the ornate wooden doors that are propped open.

"Okay, so this is the dining hall. I've just gotta tell you some random facts that you probably won't remember, so here we go. The floor of the dining hall is laminated wood, for easier cleaning, and there are about 10 long tables that can seat about 20 people each, and five that can seat ten people.

It may seem like a lot, but it's not. There are so many students here that mealtimes are staggered. Over there is where we get our food. They have awesome meal choices, with lots of variety." I point to a long table with no chairs at it.

"And that is the famous waffle bar, open 24/7." I point to a marble table that boasts everything you could possibly want to put on a waffle, and some of the best waffles in the world.

"No way!" Jack says. He runs towards the waffle bar, and I have to sprint to keep up with his long legs. It seriously sucks being so short.

He grabs a large waffle from the warmer, drizzles chocolate and caramel on it, then sprays whipped cream and adds sprinkles. He completely skips the fruit toppings, and wraps his waffle in a napkin. All done in under thirty seconds.

I follow suit, putting blueberries and chocolate on my much smaller waffle. I see him taking big bites out of his.

"So good." He says around a mouthful.

I laugh. "You must really like waffles, huh?" He nods.

We walk out of the dining hall, holding our waffles. I turn down a narrower road that opens up to the main courtyard. I look back to make sure Jack's still following me. He is, and he's almost done the waffle. I roll my eyes.

"Guys.." I mutter to myself. Jack doesn't hear me. When I reach the main courtyard, I wait for him to catch up.

"Okay, so this is the main courtyard. Occasionally we use it for training on nicer days, but usually it's a place where students can just hang out and do whatever. I actually come here a lot to read and stuff. It's pretty quiet here."

"Okay." Jack says. "I don't suppose there's another waffle bar here?" He hold up his empty napkin.

"Nope, but we can swing by the waffle bar later." I say, laughing.

"Okay then. Where to next?"

"The classrooms." Jack groans and I grin. "What, you not a big academic person?"

"No, it's not that. I forgot that I still have to go to school here. I keep on thinking there won't be any classes."

"Oh, okay then." We walk for about two minutes, then finally arrive at the classrooms. They're basically just lined up along one side of the castle walls, with windows facing the inside of the castle.

"Okay, so this is where you'll take all your classes. I'm not sure which classes you're in, but they're really easy to find. Room number 1 is over here, and the last classroom is over there." I indicate the classrooms.

"You gonna start all your sentences with 'okay, so this is'?" Jack asks me.

"Oh. Was I doing that?"

"Yeah, didn't you notice?"

"No, not really. It's probably just another one of my annoying habits."

"Okay."

**Jack's POV**

Elodie shows me around the rest of the school, including the shops, the training areas, the auditorium, and more. Kim would love the shops here. It's like, an entire mini mall. I only expected like, a few student supply shops. But nope, there's a mini mall.

As we walk back to the dining hall to get more waffles, I spot a small building with a sign that reads 'POST OFFICE'.

"One sec, Elodie." I say to her, then run over to the post office. I notice a slot that says, 'all international mail here'. I take one last look at the letter I'm going to send to Kim, then drop it in the slot and run back to Elodie.

We finish the tour with more waffles. Again, Elodie puts blueberries and chocolate on hers, but I put pretty much everything sweet on mine this time. Elodie just raises an eyebrow at me and doesn't say anything. Then, we walk back to my dorm room just as it's starting to get dark outside.

"See you tomorrow, Jack." Elodie leaves me at my door, then walks away.

**Twenty minutes later..**

I lay down in bed and turn off my lamp. Then, as a second thought, I turn the lamp back on and take another look at Kim's letter, mouthing the words to myself. I could memorize those words. Playing with the bracelet on my wrist, I turn the lamp off again and fall asleep.

**Kim's POV**

I glance at my watch as I make my way to the cafeteria. I've got one setting for a second time zone that I've set at Japanese time, so I can always know what time it is for Jack. He's probably asleep right now.

I sit down at the table with the gang and eat lunch. Milton, Jerry and Eddie are arguing about goats and dragons. I shake my head. It's not the same without Jack here. Now, it's just me, and three guys who can't agree about anything. Without Jack, I'm scared the gang will never be the same again.

**Haha hope you enjoyed! If you have any suggestions for the story, please include that in your review. Please review XD. Thanks for reading!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	6. Life Moves On

**I'm so sorry this update is so late. I've been super busy with The Story of Us. Like, super busy. But anyways, the chapter's up now! Hope you enjoy. **

**Jack's POV**

"Holy Christmas Nuts! Holy Christmas Nuts! Holy Christmas Nuts!"

"Milton?" I ask, blearily, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Milton's voice.. coming from the closet? What?

Rolling out of bed, I walk over to the closet, peering inside. No Milton there.

The noise is coming from inside my drawers. Gingerly opening the top one, I look inside. A bright green clock with a picture of Jerry, Milton, Kim, Eddie, Rudy and I on the face is vibrating madly.

"Holy Christmas Nuts! Holy Christmas Nuts! Holy Christmas Nuts!"

Picking up the clock, I press a giant button at the top labeled, 'SHUT UP'. I hold it at arm's length, just in case it goes off again, but it doesn't. I chuckle. It's pretty funny now. This has got Jerry written all over it.

I turn the clock over, and sure enough, Jerry's name is scrawled over a piece of paper taped to the back, along with a note.

_Hey Jack,_

_Hope you like this clock that I made for you. I thought you might have a little trouble getting up in the mornings, so I just got this made for you. You can probably tell that's Milton screaming 'Holy Christmas Nuts!' at you right now. I recorded it right after I dumped a huge bucket of water on him as he was walking into the dojo. It was funny, yo! I set it at six o'clock in the morning for two days after you left. I hope you can figure out how to set it, because I'm not gonna tell you, even though I definitely know how to set it. Good luck with your first day at the Otai Academy! I do not miss you at all, meatbag. Not even one single tiny bit._

_From, Jerry. _

I tear up a little. This has got to be the nicest thing Jerry has ever done for me- ever. He must've slipped it into my bag when I was saying goodbye to Kim. Come to think of it, the zipper was open… Smiling, I set the clock on my bedside table. I'll figure out how to set it later. For now, I've got to get ready for my first day of classes.

I get dressed and fix my beautiful bouncy hair in the full-length mirror, then open my door. In a flat box nailed beside my door is another package of papers. Picking up the papers, I go back into my room and sit down on my bed.

The first page is, of course, my schedule.

_Weekdays (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)_

_6:30-7:30 AM: Breakfast_

_8:00 to 9:30: Academic classes (see smaller schedule attatched)_

_9:30: Break_

_10:00-11:00: Academic classes (See smaller schedule attatched)_

_11:15- 12:15: Lunch_

_12:30-4:00 Martial Arts Training(See smaller schedule attatched)_

_4:00-5:00 Free time_

_5:00-6:00 Dinner_

_6:00-6:45 Chores (assigned monthly)_

_6:45- 7:45 Martial Arts Training (see smaller schedule attatched)_

_7:45- 8:45 Weapons Training_

_8;45-10:00 Free Time_

_10:00 Lights Out_

_Saturdays and Sundays_

_6:30-7:30 AM: Breakfast_

_8:00-11:00: Martial Arts Training (see smaller schedule attatched)_

_11:15-12:00: Lunch _

_12:00-1:00: Strength and Conditioning Training_

_1:15-3:00: Free Time_

_3:00-4:45: Activity (varies by week)_

_5:00-6:00: Dinner_

_6:00-6:45:Chores (assigned monthly)_

_7:00-10:00:Free Time_

_10:00: Lights Out._

I scan the schedule over, noticing happily that I have more free time than I thought I would. Taking a look at the smaller schedule the paper keeps on referring to, I smile. Life here is gonna be so much fun. The only thing that would make it better would be having the gang here with me. It's gonna be so weird not seeing them every day.

I glance at Jerry's clock on my bedside table. Breakfast starts in a few minutes, so I should get going. I wonder if I can eat another waffle for breakfast. They're so good, they should be illegal. Wait, no, I take that back. If they were illegal, I wouldn't be able to eat them. And I think I'm already addicted to them.

I sigh. I sure hope I find a way to see them sometime soon, or the next time I see them will be when they're in college. And four years is a long, long time.

**Six months later… Kim's POV**

I ride my green and black skateboard up my driveway. Or should I say, Jack's skateboard. It was one of the things he gave to me when he first found out he'd gotten the scholarship to Japan, and since he left I've taken up skateboarding because it reminds me of him. It's actually a lot of fun, and I can see why he enjoyed it so much. It totally beats walking to and from school.

Jack's house is still vacant, and once in a while I go inside to clean it out a bit, when I have time. Jack left me a key, just in case I wanted to go inside sometimes, and a week after he was gone, I got the idea to keep his house clean, you know, just in case it's not sold yet when he comes back for a visit.

I peek in the mailbox hopefully. It's been a while since I got a letter from Jack, even though he promised he'd send me one every week in his first letter. The second letter was the longest- it was, like, two pages- and then after that, they just got shorter, and shorter, until they stopped altogether.

Of course, I wrote a long reply to each and every one of them, no matter how short they'd been. Life in Seaford is so much duller without him around. Eddie's hardly at the dojo anymore- he's at Mrs. King's Dance Academy more and more nowadays.

Milton's exactly the opposite- he's spending so much time at the dojo now, taking time off only to sleep, go to school, do homework, and practice the French Horn. He's ranked up two whole belts since Jack left. He says it's to be able to defend himself from the bullies, since Jack's gone and I can't be everywhere at the same time.

Jerry.. I haven't seen him hit on a single girl since Jack left, which is a miracle in itself. I think he misses Jack more than he lets on, but anytime someone asks him if he misses Jack, he denies it.

He always says something along the lines of, "What? No! Why would I miss that meatbag?" But I and the rest of the gang can see that he gets a little teary-eyed sometimes when Jack's name is mentioned. Nice try, Jerry. You can't fool us- we're your best friends. We can see right through your entire tough-guy act.

And Rudy, well, Rudy's teaching a lot more karate classes nowadays. Since I'm the only black belt at Bobby Wasabi's, I'm working twice as hard to win tournaments, and so that means I can't help him teach his classes like I used to. He's so busy now, but he still has the time to write Jack a letter once in a while, and occasionally I hear him crying in his office, with the door locked, of course. He misses Jack a lot, all of us can tell. We have a new dummy in the dojo that he even dubbed 'Jack' in honor of his former student. Of course, that's the dummy that we beat up the least, because of its name.

Jack's departure has affected all of us a lot- that much is for certain. None of us have heard from him in a while, and I really hope he's okay. Hopefully, it just means that he's made some friends, or is really busy at the Academy. The thought of him being too busy with his new friends to write us letters hurts a lot, though. I never thought it would happen, but maybe it already has.

**Jack's POV**

It's almost ten o'clock, and it's lights out in about fifteen minutes. I just got back from Lauren's and Elodie's dorm room, where we and Elliot were just hanging out. Lauren, Elodie and I have become really close friends, especially since we're all in the same grade, and they were the first two people I met here.

Elliot is Elodie's twin brother, who I met on my first day of classes, at breakfast. We were both at the waffle bar, loading up our waffles with chocolate and sprinkles. Granted, it wasn't exactly the best thing to eat for breakfast, but both of us were eating it anyways. He came and sat at the table I was sitting at, and we ate our waffles and discovered that we had a lot of things in common. Then, Elodie and Lauren came and sat with us, and that was when I found out that Elodie had a twin brother.

The four of us have become really close in the few months I've been here, and after my first month we started hanging out in each other's rooms every night during free time. It's a lot of fun being around them, and it's nice to have friends here who you can count on. I spend almost all of my time with them, since we're in almost all the same academic classes.

Our martial arts training is usually pretty different, though. Elodie turns out to be a third-degree black belt at Aikido, which is basically one of the most peaceful forms of martial arts there is. It focuses on using an opponent's strength against them, which is perfect for Elodie since she's so tiny.

Lauren's a black belt in both Tae Kwon Do and Karate, which means we have some but not all of our training together. Her fighting style reminds me a lot of Kim's, and we spar often. Elliot's a black belt in Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu. I've never actually seen him fight before, so I don't really have a lot to say about him.

I sit down on my bed, pretty exhausted from the day's events. They pushed us really hard during training today, and on top of that, Lauren's been teaching me a little Tae Kwon Do. She's a really good teacher, and Tae Kwon Do is a lot of fun. I spend a lot of my free time learning from her, so I can add another kind of martial arts to my list of skills.

I lay down, fiddling with the bracelet I wear all day, every day. It's one of the most treasured things I have, because it's from Kim. Huh, Kim. I haven't thought about her in a really long time. I've got a stack of letters from her sitting on my desk, gathering dust. Most have never even been opened. I always mean to read them when I have time, but the problem is, I don't have time.

I feel really bad, because she writes me a letter every single week, and I stopped replying after about two months. Yet, she continued to write me letters. It's really sweet, and touching. I get the occasional letter from Rudy, Milton, Jerry and Eddie, too. I haven't had time to reply to those, either. Sure, I miss the gang lots, but I'm just too busy. They've probably moved on with their lives, too. It just can't be helped- life moves on. You can't stop it. People change, you can't stop that. I guess it was bound to happen, anyways.

**So.. what did you think? Please review, and thanks for reading!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	7. Don't Forget About Us

**I'm baaackkkk! Haha! Sorry the update is so late, I've been busy wrapping up The Story of Us. If you haven't read it, go check it out! : ) Hope you enjoy! Also, did you hear Luke Benward and Olivia Holt are dating? My heart just cracked into a million pieces. But on a brighter note, HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN, OLIVIA! yes, that's right, it's her bday :)**

**Jack's POV**

The next morning, I wake up way earlier than usual, at three AM. After tossing and turning in bed for half an hour, I finally give up on sleep and sit up. I turn on the lamp and get out of bed.

I push aside the green curtains and look out the window. I have one of the best views possible- my bedroom is located pretty close to the edge of the cliff, so you can see the entire valley from my window. But right now, the sun has yet to rise, and so everything is shrouded in darkness. I open the window, letting in some of the fresh, cold mountain air.

Then, I go to my desk and sit down. I've got no homework to do, since it's a Saturday morning and the teachers typically don't assign homework for weekends. I play with my favorite pencil for a bit. It's a deep red mechanical pencil with a really comfortable grip. Elodie gave it to me last month, for no apparent reason. I use it all the time for schoolwork and the like.

My gaze drifts to the stack of envelopes sitting in the corner of my desk. I've got time now, why don't I read them all and reply?

I turn the stack upside down and start from the bottom, where the oldest letters are. I carefully open the envelope of the first letter. It's dated exactly two months after I left Seaford, and it was the reply to the last letter I sent her.

_Dear Jack,_

_The training at the Academy sounds so awesome. I wish we could all be there with you. And you're so lucky you only have a few hours of academic classes a day. At Seaford High, the academic workload is getting pretty intense, since finals are coming. Even Milton's stressed about school, and you know that's not typical of him._

_No one's moved into your house yet, and I'm still keeping it clean for when you come back. It's weird looking next door and seeing an empty house._

_Also, thank you so much for letting me have your skateboard. Yesterday, I found it in my garage and took it out for a test run, to see if it still worked. Skateboarding is so much fun, and I think I'm going to be doing it way more often now- partially because I like it, but mostly because it reminds me of you._

_Milton, Jerry, Eddie and Rudy say hi. And Eddie says to tell you that he finally found your missing wristband. It was in his locker all this time. He's saving it for when you come back, but honestly, chances are he's probably going to lose it again soon._

_Please, visit soon. I really miss hearing your voice. Writing letters just isn't the same._

_Lots of Love,_

_Kim_

I smile, and move on to the next letter.

_Dear Jack,_

_I'm not sure if you sent me a reply for the last letter, but it's been three weeks, and I haven't got anything, so I'm just going to write back anyways._

_How's life? In your last two-sentence letter, you didn't really tell me much. I wish I could be there with you right now, but I can't. All I can hope is that you return soon. Life just isn't the same without you._

_I've been skateboarding to school almost every day now. Don't worry, I'm taking really good care of your skateboard. I won't let anything happen to it, lol. Your skateboard is safe with me!_

_So… update on my life. I got a haircut the other day, and my hair's about shoulder length now. It feels really short, but I can't do anything about it except hope it grows back soon. _

_Also, Rudy entered Jerry, Milton, Eddie and I in the state championships. We're going to LA next week! It's going to be so exciting. I've always wanted to go to LA. Maybe I'll meet someone famous. Maybe I won't. Either way, it's still going to be so much fun. The only thing that could make it better would be if you were going to be there competing alongside me._

_I've gotta go now. My mom wants me to wash the dishes._

_I hope you get this letter…_

_Yours Truly, _

_Kim_

I spend the next two hours reading all of Kim's letters. Some are longer than others, and in some, she's so bored that she literally gives me a word-for-word rundown of her day. Those are the most entertaining. Some even make me laugh out loud. It's moments like this that I really miss being in Seaford, and also that I'm glad I don't have a roommate. If I did, he would probably yell at me for laughing uncontrollably at four AM.

Finally, at six-fifteen AM, I reach the last letter in the stack. It was sent just a week ago.

_Dear Jack,_

_It's been four months since you last sent me a letter. I hope you're doing all right, and that your classes are fun. Eat a waffle for me, okay? And tell all of your friends that I said hi. I'd love to meet them someday._

_Another update on life: Milton ranked up ANOTHER belt today! He's been pouring so much of himself into karate, stopping only to eat, sleep, go to school, and work on homework. He's getting closer to a black belt every day, which is good, since I'm struggling with tournaments nowadays. It's not easy being the only black belt at the dojo. _

_A couple times, I've come close to transferring back to the Black Dragons. What kind of friend would that make me, though? I can't abandon Rudy like that, after all, he's struggling with money more than usual nowadays. Every time I consider it, I think of you, and that alone is enough to keep me from transferring._

_Please, please, please, write me a letter back. I thought not seeing you every day would be hard, but not hearing from you for four whole months is even harder. I understand that the Academy is keeping you busy, but please! Even one sentence, just to let us know how you're doing. Just to make sure that you're okay._

_I know you have new friends now, but please don't forget about the people you left behind, Jack. Please don't forget about all the hours we spent together, and the memories we made. We haven't given up on you yet, so please don't forget about us._

_Write back as soon as you can, Jack. I'm counting the seconds till I get a reply : ) _

_Forever Yours,_

_Kim_

I fold the letter back up and start to slide it into its envelope. But I can't get Kim's words out of my head.

"Don't forget about the people you left behind, Jack." I can almost hear her voice, saying it.

And that's all it takes for me to slide a drawer open, grab the purple pen I haven't picked up in ages, and start writing a long letter back. Well, longer than usual, anyways.

_Dear Kim,_

_I am so sorry that I haven't written back in so long. Yes, I have been extremely busy. There's just too much to do here, and not enough hours in the day. I know I shouldn't let that stop me from writing back, but I did, and I can't change that now. All I can do is hope you'll forgive me._

_Yes, I am doing fine, except for the fact that I miss you. Tell your mom I said hi, okay? And about the skateboard- if I come back, you can keep it. I'm so glad that you love it as much as I do. It really is a lot of fun, isn't it? The wind in your hair… speeding past the people walking on the sidewalk LOL! _

_I'll tell Elodie, Lauren and Elliot that you said hi, for sure! Tell Milton I said that I'm proud of him, and to keep up the good work. He must be working really hard. Please don't transfer to the Black Dragons. If what you've been telling me is true (which it is) then Rudy needs all the financial help he can get. Losing a student is not going to help him._

_Okay, so you wanted to know how I'm doing, right?_

_I ranked up to a fourth degree black belt in karate, and since Lauren's been teaching me Tae Kwon Do, I'm a yellow belt in that right now. I've been training super hard, and once I reach a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I'm planning to move on to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. _

_My house still hasn't been sold? I can't believe that you're still cleaning it up for me, even after I haven't written you back in ages. And how you sent me a letter, faithfully, every week- just, wow. You're an amazing friend, and I'm so lucky to know you._

_Tell Eddie that I said good luck with the dancing, and tell Rudy that I said I miss him, okay?_

_And I wish I could visit, but it would be extremely hard to get away from here. I would have to get permission from the headmaster, and somehow find internet connection to book a flight to Seaford. Then, I'd have to get a ride to the airport. Not an easy feat. But I'll see what I can do- after all, you're worth it. Not seeing you for four years might kill me. So I will do everything in my power to find a way back to California._

_Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. On the contrary, I wear your bracelet every day, and pictures of all of you guys pretty much cover the inside of my closet, and part of the mirror. You guys will always be my friends, no matter how far away I am._

_Lots of Love,_

_Jack_

I sign the letter, then slip it into an envelope. I write Kim's address on it, and stick the right stamps to it, then leave it on my desk and open my closet to get dressed.

I slip on a purple t-shirt, then wear my black and purple gi on top of it, since I've got karate practice first thing this morning. Slipping on a pair of grey vans, I touch the door handle, ready to leave for breakfast, then notice that the sun's shining brightly behind me.

I check the Holy Christmas Nuts clock. It reads, 7:38. Oh no! I must've lost track of the time, and now I've missed breakfast. If I hurry, I might still be able to get some food, but at worst, I can always break the rules and eat a waffle for breakfast. Yes, there does happen to be a rule for that. Since so many students were eating chocolate-drizzled waffles for breakfast, there's now a 'no waffles for breakfast' rule in place.

I run back to the door and am about to turn the handle when I hear a knock on the door. I jump back, surprised.

"Jack? You in there?" Lauren's voice asks from the other side of the door.

I open the door to see Elodie and Lauren standing there, a steaming plate of pancakes in Elodie's hands.

"Hey, Jack. Since you missed breakfast, we figured we should bring you some food." Elodie says. "Elliot was going to come too, but some of his buddies dragged him away."

They walk into my room, and sit down on the bed opposite mine. Elodie leaves the plate of pancakes on my desk. I wolf them down in under three minutes, while Elodie texts Elliot and Lauren plays with her snapback.

"You guys didn't have to stay and watch me eat, you know." I say.

"That's okay. We've never been in here before. We sort of want to see your room." Elodie says.

"I can give you a tour." I offer, then check the clock again. Ugh. Fifteen minutes till the start of class. Lauren sees me looking and shakes her head.

"Don't worry about classes today. The headmaster's given the teachers a day off. We've literally got the entire day to ourselves." Lauren tells me.

"What? No way!"

"Yes way." Elodie says.

"It's been five months since we've had a free day! This is awesome!" I jump up from my desk.

"So now can you give us the grand tour?" Elliot asks from the doorway. I jump, then sigh. I must've forgotten to close the door again.

"Oh, hey, Elliot. Sure, I guess. There's not much to see, though."

**That's it for today, because I'm being told to go to bed. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!**

**Xoxo,lovelifeandwatermelons**


	8. A Letter From Jack- Finally!

**Hi! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Hope you enjoy this chapter : ) It's only a filler...**

**Jack's POV**

I show them around my room. There's really not much to see, except the view from my window. Lauren's especially envious of that.

They all wander around my room, looking at things. They've never actually been in here before. We usually get together in Elodie's and Lauren's room.

Elodie slides open my closet and looks at the pictures surrounding and partially covering my mirror. I walk over to her.

"Who's this?" She asks, tracing a picture of Kim with her finger. It's a shot of Kim on her birthday last year. She's holding up a vanilla cupcake with purple frosting and laughing. "You sure have a lot of pictures of her." Elodie observes.

"Oh, that's Kim. And that's Eddie, Jerry, Milton, Rudy, Falafel Phil, Mika, Julie, and Falafel Phil's goat, Tootsie." I point to a picture in the top right corner.

Lauren and Elliot come to see, too. "Wow, you sure have a lot of pictures of us." Elliot comments, eyebrows raised. I shrug.

It's true, though. There are more pictures of my new friends than there are of my old ones. The first week, when I got homesick, I put up tons of pictures. But after that, they slowly started coming down. Now there's only about fifteen, when before there was, like, thirty. And almost all of the pictures left are of Kim. I've got one of the entire gang, and one of my mom.

"Jack, is that your girlfriend?" Lauren teases, pointing at a picture of Kim and I sharing a drink at Falafel Phil's. I bite my lip, unsure of how to respond. After all, I never asked Kim out.

"No." I say. "She's just a friend."

**Thirty minutes later…**

We're talking and laughing about random things, you know, just because we can. I show them my Holy Christmas Nuts clock, and Kim's bracelet, and some of my tournament trophies from home that I brought with me.

After a while, Elliot leaves to go hang out with his other friends, and Lauren and Elodie say they've got to go do some stuff, so I'm alone in my room again. I glance at the clock. 9:00. The mail truck leaves in half an hour, so if I'm going to get this letter to Kim, I'd better go to the post office now.

I hope she's not mad at me for not replying for so long.

**One week later…. Kim's POV**

I skateboard up the driveway, and peek into the mailbox as usual. There hasn't been anything in there for the longest time, but a girl can hope, right?

I check the mailbox, then do a double take. Sitting at the bottom of the box is a plain, white envelope with my name and address written on it in purple ink. I pick the letter up, then run up to my room to get my karate stuff. I'm running late for practice already.

I stuff my gi, black belt, a hairtie, a bottle of water, a granola bar and Jack's letter into my bag, then jump on the skateboard and hurry to the mall.

When I walk into the dojo, Milton's relentlessly beating up one of our oldest dummies, Eddie's doing stretches on the mat, and Jerry's twirling his nunchucks. This is the only practice we have together now. Saturday afternoons, at 3 o'clock. It used to be we practiced together every day, but now, we all come in at different times during the week.

I drop my bag on the floor and take out my gi, black belt and hairtie and run to the girls' changing room. I get changed and come back out.

"Kim, you're fifteen minutes late." Rudy says. He looks as if he hasn't gotten any sleep for a while. Life's been really hard on him recently.

"I know, I'm really sorry." I say.

"Come on, get warmed up." I haven't seen Rudy smile in the longest time.

"Wait. First, I have a letter from Jack!" I say.

Everyone turns and looks at me like I'm crazy. Jerry's the first one to unfreeze. He jumps over Eddie, still mid-stretch on the mat.

"No way! Let's see it, chica!" He says.

I pull the envelope out of my bag, and everyone gathers around me. I open the envelope, and slide the letter out. I unfold it as slowly as possible, enjoying the tortured look of anticipation on Jerry's face.

"Give me that." He snaps. He unfolds it and everyone begins to read it.

"I'm so proud! My former student is now a fourth degree black belt in karate, and he's training at the Otai Academy. This is the best day of my life!" Rudy's smiling, and he's got a hand over his heart.

"Aww.. Kim, he wears your bracelet every day." Milton says. "See, he hasn't forgotten about you after all." A month ago, I'd told Milton that I was afraid Jack had forgotten all about us. Apparently, I was wrong.

"He can't come visit?" Eddie asks in dismay.

"What?" Rudy asks.

"Where does it say that?" I say.

"What's going on? I'm confused!" Jerry shakes his head.

"Right here, see?" Eddie points to the bottom of the letter.

We all grow quiet.

Rudy breaks the silence. "What does he mean, he can't come visit?"

"Yeah, he promised us." I add.

"Guys, I'm pretty sure he means that he can't come visit." Jerry nods wisely.

Milton sighs. "Jerry, they just said that."

"I know." Jerry says.

I sigh. I was so looking forward to a visit from Jack. There's gotta be another way for him to come see us.

**Okay, so from here, I have a few options**

**1 Time skip one or two years in advance, Kim gets a scholarship to the Otai Academy and goes to Japan.**

**2 The wasabi warriors find a way to get to Japan and visit Jack**

**3 Same as right now (stay separated)**

**Please tell me what you'd prefer! Love you all and please review!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	9. WE'RE GOING TO JAPAN!

**So.. the results are….**

**Option 1: Time skip one or two years in advance, Kim gets a scholarship to the Otai Academy and goes to Japan. **Number of votes: 18

**Option 2: The wasabi warriors find a way to get to Japan and visit Jack **number of votes: 6

**Option 3: Jack and the wasabi warriors stay separated **number of votes: 1

**Thanks for letting me know what you thought! I'm sorry I didn't have time to reply to all your reviews- I've been super busy. I have a feeling you guys are gonna like what I did with the options- at least, I hope so! I sort of mixed it up to try and make everyone happy.. I think…**

**Four months later… Rudy's POV**

I'm driving along the freeway, with Kim sitting shotgun, Maroon 5 blasting on the stereo, and Jerry, Milton, and Eddie sitting in the backseat.

Jerry's car dancing along to 'Love Somebody', Milton's reading a book- well, trying to, anyways- and Eddie's eating falafel from a huge takeout container. Kim's just quietly staring out the window.

"Hey, Kim, you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah," she replies. "I'm just excited to see Jack again."

"You don't look like it. You sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, it's just, well, I'm scared that he's changed so much I won't even recognize him. After all, it's been ten months- almost a year- since we last saw him. And for four of those months, we didn't even hear from him." She says, quietly.

"Kim, don't worry. I'm sure he'll be the same Jack we know." I reassure her.

She smiles. "Yeah, you're right. I should stop worrying. After all, I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO JAPAN!" She shouts the last part.

"WHOOOO! JAPAN" Jerry screams. Milton and Eddie both cringe, covering their ears. Jerry just grins.

We drive up to the airport. I find a spot to park, then I open the trunk, and the kids unload their stuff from the car.

** Half an hour later… Eddie's POV**

We've just gone through customs, and we're finally at Gate 66. I can't believe I was able to convince my mom to let me come. It was hard, because we're staying for an entire month, and even though it's during summer break, I still have dance.

We all sit down in the waiting area. I look around. It's glad to have the gang back together again. In the past few months, we've grown apart even more.

I pull out the giant bucket of falafel that Phil gave to me before I left. I start eating.

Rudy stands up. "Ooh! Teddy bears! I'm gonna go get a giant one!" He squeals, pointing to a store nearby. "Umm, I mean, I'm going to go get one for my… nephew." Everyone just looks at him, like, sure you are. "Stay right here, and don't go anywhere. Kim, you're in charge until I get back."

"Okay, Rudy." Kim says.

I watch Rudy run off to the store selling teddy bears. Five minutes later, he returns with a little, brown teddy bear.

"Meet Teddy, everyone!" He uses Teddy's arm to wave at us. "Teddy says hi!"

"Hi, Teddy!" Jerry waves, grinning. Everyone else just ignores Rudy.

"Hey, Rudy, I thought you said you were going to get a giant one. That's not even close to giant." I say.

"Yeah, I know. This is all I could buy with fifty bucks." Rudy sighs. "Oh well! Teddy's worth it! Aren't you, Teddy?"

"Fifty bucks for a tiny teddy bear? Man, I better save up if I'm going to buy a giant dancing moose someday." Jerry groans.

"I don't even want to know why you want a giant dancing moose." Milton says.

"Now boarding flight 66 to Siberia." A voice announces calmly over the speakers. "Please begin to board."

"Siberia!?" We all cry.

"Holy Christmas Nuts! Siberia?" Milton asks.

"Siberiwhat?" Rudy asks.

"Rudy, did you book us a flight to SIBERIA?" Kim asks angrily.

"Not cool, man. Not cool." Jerry mutters.

I check the tickets frantically, turning them upside down and squinting at them. I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, guys, wrong gate." I smile sheepishly at them. "We're supposed to be at gate 99."

Milton says, "You almost gave me a heart attack! Siberia at this time of year is so cold, your eyelashes will freeze to your…" I tune him out, as we start walking to gate 99.

**Jack's POV**

"Hi-yah!" I yell, doing a spin kick into a dummy. The dummy falls over. "Yes, I did it!"

"Great job, Jack!" Lauren says. "You're going to be a black belt in tae kwon do within the year if you keep it up."

"Awesome, I can't wait." I say. "Can we please go get waffles now?"

"Sure." Lauren smiles. I sling a towel over my shoulder, and we walk over to the waffle bar, where we're supposed to be meeting Elodie and the two new kids, Sam and Luke.

"Hey, when Elodie texted you and said she wanted you to meet Sam and Luke, did she say if Sam was a girl, or a boy?" I ask Lauren.

"She didn't say."

"Okay."

We enter the dining hall, and sure enough, there's Elodie. She's with a red-haired girl and a really, really tall African-American boy.

"I'm guessing Sam is a girl name." Lauren says, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, Jack! Hey, Laur!" Elodie says. "This is Sam and this is Luke. Sam's a third-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Luke's a fourth-degree black belt in- what was it again, Luke?"

"Fourth degree in kendo, third in judo, and first in Bajan Stick Licking." Luke says. "Nice to meet you guys. You must be Jack, and you must be Lauren." He shakes our hands. He's got a slight African accent.

"Sorry to ask, but what's Bajan stick licking?" Lauren asks.

"It's basically fighting using sticks that are sort of like bo staffs, but not really." He says.

"Oh, okay. The stick part makes sense now. Not so much the licking." She says.

Luke laughs.

After the introductions are done, we all grab waffles and pile them high with sugary toppings, then go out to the courtyard to eat them.

**Kim's POV**

The airplane finally lands in Japan. The five of us are squished at the back of the plane, and it'll be a relief to finally get off.

I can't say I got a first look at Japan, because Jerry grabbed the only window seat we have. Rudy was only able to get us Economy class tickets, so let's just say the flight was NOT enjoyable.

Once we're finally at the front of the plane, we walk down a flight of stairs leading to the concrete, then walk inside the airport.

It takes forever for our bags to come on the carousel, so it's about an hour later that we finally have all our bags and are leaving the airport.

Rudy hails a cab outside, and we all pile in.

"To the Otai Academy, please?" Rudy asks.

"What! No! I do not go that far. That far, you rent car. I not drive you there." The driver, a small Japanese man, shakes his head.

"Please?" Rudy begs. The driver shakes his head.

"I have.. an autographed picture of Bobby Wasabi!" I say, pulling out the small picture that I keep in my pocket in case of emergencies. What? You never know when you'll need it.

The driver takes the picture, reverently.

"My idol…. Okay! I take you, but only you have to pay twice the normal pay! It is a quite far ride." He says, in broken English.

"Okay, deal." Rudy says, and the driver starts the car.

**Six hours later…**

The driver stops as soon as the looming, stone academy is in sight. It's still very far away.

"This as far as I go. You get out, you walk. Be there by sundown." He says, motioning us out of the car and taking Rudy's money before we can protest. He goes to the trunk, sets our bags on the ground, and speeds away before we can plead with him to take us farther.

"No! Please don't go!" Rudy runs after the cab.

"Rudy, leave it." I say. "We can walk."

And with that, we start lugging our bags up the side of the mountain. I'm glad that, for once, I packed light. I only have two bags, and we're staying for an entire month!

**An hour and a half later…**

We finally arrive at the front door, gasping. At one point, we even had to carry Eddie, because the kid collapsed. He should really start laying off the falafel balls.

We walk inside, into a lavish lobby with a beautiful carpet. There's a glass door labeled, "Office" at the very end.

A familiar-looking Japanese man walks out.

"Master Tenaka! It's nice to see you again!" Rudy says.

"You too. Now, you are staying for how long?" He asks.

"One month." Rudy says, holding up a finger.

"Okay, I will send someone to show you where you will be staying. It is a pleasure to have the sensei of one of our best students come to visit. Please, have a seat."

"You hear that? Jack's one of their best students!" Rudy whispers to us, beaming with pride.

We all sit down, and five minutes later, a blonde girl walks into the room.

"Hi, I'm Elodie. You must be Jack's sensei, and his friends. It's so nice to finally meet you! Welcome to the Academy. I've heard so much about you guys." Elodie says.

So this is Jack's friend.

"Hey, Elodie! I'm Kim." I say, extending my hand. She shakes it.

"I know." She giggles. "Jack's closet is covered in pictures of you. Don't tell him I told you."

I blush. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Ooooh…" Jerry and Eddie smirk at each other.

"Shut it!" I snap at them.

"Well, then, let's get you to your rooms. I hope the dorms are all right with you." She says, leading us out of the room.

"Yeah, they're fine." Rudy says.

We walk up some stairs, then down a hallway, then up some more stairs, then down another hallway. Finally, Elodie stops.

"Okay, so two of you will be in room 55." She looks at us, expectantly.

"I call it!" Jerry and Eddie say at the same time. Elodie hands them a key and they disappear inside.

"I guess room 57 goes to you two, then." She hands Rudy and Milton the other key, then turns to me.

"You're gonna be on the floor just above this one- the girls' floor. Come on!" She skips away, and I have to run to catch up.

We arrive at a door labeled, '79'. She slips the key into my hand.

"This is your room. Since it's at the end of the hallway, it's a single person room, so you won't have to worry about sharing or anything. I think you'll like it a lot- it was decorated by me and my roommate. I'm in the room right next to you, if you need anything." She smiles, then walks into the room labeled, '80'.

I gingerly open the doorknob and enter the room.

At the end of the room is a white daybed with purple sheets and lilac-colored pillows. The window above the bed has white lace curtains shading the sunlight from the room, and there's a closet door on the right wall and a white desk on the left.

A purple rug sits on the hardwood floor, and there's a beanbag chair beside it.

It's beautiful.

Elodie knocks on the door, and I let her in. "You like it, Kim?"

"I love it! How… how did you .. no. Why did you do this for me? And how did you know this is what my dream room looks like?" I ask. This is so not what I thought a dorm room would look like.

"Oh, let's just say a job at the supply store means I can get my hands on almost anything. And the dream room, well, that was a coincidence. Jack just told us you really like the color purple. Since we got permission from the headmaster to decorate your room, we just went all out with the lace curtains and the daybed." She laughs. "It was so much fun."

"I love it!" I say. "Thanks so much."

"Not a problem." She smiles. "So, do you want to unpack first, or do you want to go see Jack?"

That's not a hard question.

"Let's go see Jack."

We run downstairs and grab the guys, then Elodie takes us outside the dorm building.

This place is so amazing. The cobblestone roads… it's almost like the pictures I see of Rome. Except we're in Japan.

She leads us to a courtyard with Japanese maple trees and stone benches. And there, on the other side of the courtyard, is Jack.

** I apologize if this chapter wasn't great. I have no time to look it over : ( But I hope you enjoyed anyways! Please review!**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	10. We've Been Replaced

**Hey, guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

** Jerry's POV**

The little blonde girl runs ahead of us, as we follow her to where she says Jack is.

We round the corner. The second I see Jack talking to his new friends, I stop short. And it's not just because I'm surprised the meatbag made some friends.

"We've been replaced." I mutter. I didn't think it would hurt so much, but it does.

"What do you mean, Jer?" Kim asks, confused, as the four of us walk towards Jack. He still hasn't noticed us, instead, he's too busy laughing.

"Don't you see, guys? Not to be racist or anything, but look at his friends." I say.

"Huh? What about them?" Eddie wonders.

"Look. He's got a blonde, which is Kim. A latina, which is me. A redhead, that's you, Milton. And he's got an African-American, which is you, Eddie."(I promise I'm not being racist. And I just noticed this when I read the last chapter. I was like, oh, wait. Jack's new friends have at least one physical feature to match one of Jack's old friends. So I decided to include it.)

"Holy Christmas Nuts!" Milton gasps. "You're right, Jerry!"

"He really did replace us."

"I don't believe it."

"How could he?" This last one is from Kim, who's got a tear running down her cheek. Rudy notices.

"Hey, Kim, don't be sad. You guys could never be replaced. But what's even better? He didn't find a replacement for me!" Rudy claps his hands. "I'm irreplaceable."

Everyone just rolls their eyes.

**Jack's POV**

Sam and Luke are really cool. I think the six of us are going to become really close friends. They kind of remind me of Milton and Eddie, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

Elodie comes running back up to us, her light blonde hair windblown, and her grey eyes sparkling.

"Oh, hey, Elle." I say, smirking. I know she hates being called that, but I really can't resist.

"I told you! Don't call me Elle!" She glares at me.

"Okay, I'm sorry, _Elodie_."

She huffs.

"Anyways, why'd the headmaster call you in?" I ask her. She grins.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Tell meee." I whine. I see that Lauren's grinning like mad, too. Okay, what's going on here?

"Okay, fine. Turn around, Jack."

I turn around and gasp in astonishment.

Standing right there behind me, are pretty much the last people I expected to see. Not the last people I want to see, mind you, but the last people I thought I would see here at the Academy.

Kim, Eddie, Jerry, Milton, and Rudy.

I jump up, excited. "No way! How'd you guys get here?"

Rudy runs to me and hugs me tight, and Jerry, Eddie and Milton follow his lead. Reluctantly, Kim hugs me, too.

"It's so awesome to see you guys!" I say.

"We missed you a lot, Jack." Milton says.

"I missed you guys too."

"Umm…. Hello?" Sam says, waving.

"Oh, sorry. Sam, Luke, Elodie, and Lauren, this is Milton, Eddie, Kim, Jerry, and Rudy. They're from Seaford, my hometown."

They all exchange greetings, and it looks like Jerry and Lauren are talking to each other in Spanish. I chuckle to myself. They look pretty cute together.

I feel a light tap on my arm. I look over my shoulder, and am instantly enveloped in a hug.

"I missed you so much, Jack." Kim murmurs.

"Missed you too." I smile at her, and tuck a strand of her hair that escaped from her braid behind her ear.

"So, how's life been?" She asks, letting go of me.

"It's all right. See, I made some friends. But it's just not the same without you guys. It's so awesome to have you here. How come you didn't tell me you were coming?" I ask.

"We wanted to surprise you." She says. "And, see, I told you you'd make friends. To think, you were scared you wouldn't, at first."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, do you wanna go check out the world-class waffle bar?" I suggest.

"Yeah!" She says.

"Guys, we're gonna go get a waffle." I call over my shoulder as we start walking.

"Oooh, wait, I'm coming!" Eddie says.

"Me too!" Elodie yells.

"I want one!" Rudy cries.

"I guess I'm coming. You in, Jerry?" Lauren says.

"All right!"

Milton and Luke follow behind, as we all head to the dining hall.

**Kim's POV**

Jack piles his waffle high with chocolate and marshmallows, while I stick to the blueberries and strawberries. We all head outside to eat.

I think Jack's new friends are nice enough, but I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Jack tells us all about his life here in Japan. I have to admit, it isn't as glamorous as I thought it would be, coming to a top-notch karate school. Like Jack says, it's just like normal school, only with a lot of hard training afterwards.

Rudy was right, Jack hasn't changed at all. I had nothing to worry about. I was scared that when we came to see him, he would be too good for us, or something. But he's not like that. He's the same old Jack, only with new friends and more karate skills.

Half an hour of laughing and catching up later, Jack and his new friends have to go leave for their weekly activity.

"What's a weekly activity?" Jerry asks.

"Oh, it's basically this.. get together where all the kids who are the same age gather on a Saturday and do group training sessions. It doesn't matter what kind of martial arts you do. Sometimes, we even play games." Lauren explains to him.

"Hey, actually, do you guys want to come? I'm sure the sensei who's supervising tonight will let you participate." Elodie offers.

"Oh, that sounds like fun. I'm in." Jerry says.

"Me too!" I add.

"Let's go kick some butt!" Rudy grins.

"You guys gonna join us?" Jack asks Eddie and Milton.

"Sure, we've got nothing else to do." Milton says, and Eddie nods.

"Okay, we typically meet in the large courtyard. Follow me." Elodie stands up and walks away.

**Eight minutes later…**

"Red." The Japanese sensei barks at a small boy. The boy runs over to the left side of the courtyard.

When we arrived at the activity, the sensei greeted us and told us that only black belts going into tenth grade are allowed to participate in this certain activity. That means that Eddie, Rudy, Milton, and Jerry can't participate, so they ran off to get more waffles.

The sensei gathered all the kids together and explained that tonight, the activity would be Capture the Flag. The students cheered.

"You're gonna love this, Kim." Elodie had told me.

So, right now, the sensei is dividing everyone into two teams- the red, and the blue. The red team is wearing red belts around their black gis, and the blue team is picking up blue belts from a pile at the end of the courtyard.

"Blue!" He barks at me. "Red!" He tells Jack. "Blue!" to Elodie. "Red!" Lauren runs to the left side of the courtyard.

Elodie and I each pick up a a belt from the pile. I tie it securely around the black gi that I'm borrowing from Lauren. She's a little taller than me, but it'll do for now.

Elodie leads me over to a large and impressive-looking rack of weapons leaning against the wall.

"Okay, so you're supposed to pick one weapon from this rack. None of them can actually cause permanent damage, but they will be useful for getting to the flag." Elodie glances over the rack of weapons, then picks up a small, silver dagger with an intricate handle.

"Wait. What's Capture the Flag and why do we need weapons?" I ask.

"Oh, sorry, I was supposed to explain that to you, but I forgot." She apologizes and takes a deep breath. "So, Capture the Flag is pretty much a game where each team has a flag that's the team color. Both teams hide their flag somewhere where the other team will have trouble finding or getting hold of it. The boundaries- well, there are none. Just stay inside the school, and you're not allowed to go into dorm areas, stores, the post office, or any other offices, for that mater.

Usually, there's a group of kids guarding the flag, too. Anyone who's not guarding the flag is supposed to look for the flag. When someone finds the flag, usually that's when most of the fighting starts. That's what the weapons are for.

Once you've been knocked to the ground or been touched on the torso by a sword, knife, paintball gun, or water gun, you're deemed 'dead' and you're out of the game. The first five people out of the game have kitchen duty for a month, so you really don't want to be out first.

So, basically, if we're not guarding the flag, our job is to look for and capture the red team's flag. Got it?" She looks at me. I nod, and pick up a sword, weighing it in my hand. A few months ago, Rudy gave us a sword-fighting crash course. The stuff he taught me will probably come in handy now.

"Students!" A voice booms. It's the sensei. "Please gather around. The game is beginning."

"We'd better go." Elodie glances over at the crowd of kids already growing at the middle of the courtyard. "I think they're starting."

We join the Blue Team's huddle. As soon as a pretty Japanese girl spots me, she yells, "New girl. What's your name?"

"I'm Kim." I say.

"Okay, guys," She looks pointedly at two boys who are quietly bickering, "since you two can't decide who will be team captain, I'm nominating blondie over here. Does anyone object?" Her gaze sweeps over everyone. "No? Okay." She looks at me. "You're the team captain. Go get the flag." She points at the sensei, who's patiently holding a red flag in his left hand, and a blue flag in his right hand.

"O-okay." I walk over to the sensei, who hands me the flag, without a word. "Thanks." I smile at him, and he smiles back. I head over to my team, carrying the heavy flag.

"Umm, hi, what's your name?" I ask the girl who nominated me for captain.

"Oh, hi, Kim. I'm Ayaka. Nice to meet you." She shakes my hand.

"Okay, Ayaka, I sort of don't know how to do this whole team captain thing. Would you mind telling me how it works?" I ask, crossing my fingers that she'll say yes.

"Sure. So, as team captain, you assign people to guard the flag, and you also have the last say in where the flag is hidden. Oh, and you also play rock-paper-scissors with the other team captain to hide the flag first. That's pretty much it."

"Oh, okay, I can handle that. Thanks."

"Not a problem."

"Jack! Jack!" Jack!" I hear chanting from the red team. I turn around and watch as Jack takes the flag from the sensei. I gulp. I think Jack's the red team's captain. I plan on winning, but it's going to be a little harder if I'm up against Jack. And I don't just mean rock paper scissors, although he's always been able to read my next moves well.

I wait for him to go back to his team, but he doesn't. That's when I realize everyone's watching me, waiting for me to step up and go against Jack for the right to hide the flag first.

Alright, let's get this over with. Rock, paper, paper. I look over at Jack's hands. Rock! Yes, I won!

My team gathers around me, and we run off into the darkening streets in search of a good place to hide the flag.

**Jack's POV**

I hang the flag over the entrance to the basement. As far as I know, not a lot of people know the Academy even has a basement, so this seems like a pretty good place to hide the flag.

I twirl the long metal bo staff in my hands. This'll be fun.

**I felt like I haven't been including much action in this story yet, so I decided to include a game of Capture the Flag (stolen from Percy Jackson and the Olympians). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review! I'll be giving out sneak peeks for the next chapter if you review haha! Thanks for reading!**

**Also, if you have IG, I just got an account. Come follow me at lovelifeandwatermelons! Thanks : ) **

**I begin work on the sequel to The Story of Us today. It's tentatively named Everything Has Changed. Eeep! So excited! Haha!**

**xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	11. You Just Said What Now?

**This chapter is so full of action… It was so much fun to write, haha! Hope you like it!**

**Kim's POV**

Elodie leads Ayaka, Sam, me, and about six other kids up a narrow flight of stairs. The rest of the team is spread out over the school, creating diversions just in case some of the kids from the Red Team are already looking for our flag.

We emerge from the dark stairwell into cool night air. I look around. We're at the top of some sort of tower. I place the flag in the center of the squarish rooftop.

"Okay, so you seven," I say, gesturing to Ayaka and the six kids I don't know, "Are on defending duty. Is that all right with you?" They all nod. "All right then. The flag is in your hands."

Elodie and I run down the stairs.

"Where do you think Jack hid the flag?" My voice echoes in the stairwell.

"I've got a few ideas, but honestly, it could be anywhere." She replies.

"Okay." We exit the stairway quietly, looking around to make sure no one's watching us. It's fully dark now, which is only adding to the atmosphere of the game. Our black gis blend into the shadows, making us nearly invisible save for our hair, which glows in the soft moonlight.

**Jack's POV**

I patrol the area, feeling like a ninja in my black gi. The other team will never find us here, unless they somehow find their way into the basement from one of the other doors. But it's probably not going to happen.

**Kim's POV**

"Elodie?" I whisper. "Where exactly are we?"

"I don't know. I've never been to this part of the Academy before. Most of my classes are on the other side." She whispers back. We're wandering around in the pitch black darkness, having gotten lost five minutes ago.

My foot bangs into something, and the something falls over with a clanging sound. I stifle a scream.

"I really wish I had a flashlight." Elodie whimpers.

"Me, too." I say. "You're sure you don't know where we are?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I would remember a dark basement filled with junk." Elodie says. "Let's keep going, we're going to get somewhere eventually."

**Ten minutes later…**

"I feel like we've been walking in circles." Elodie sighs.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, did you hear that?" I can hear footsteps, coming closer.

"Ssh! I think it's someone from the other team!" She grabs my arm, and pulls me down. A flashlight sweeps the wall behind us. The footsteps grow fainter, and finally, Elodie lets go of my arm.

"Wow, you guys sure take this game seriously, don't you?" My braid is coming loose, and I tug at it.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention this, but the winning team doesn't have to do chores for a week."

"Oh, yeah, that would explain it. Hey, if that guy's from the other team, shouldn't we follow him? He might lead us to the flag." I suggest.

"Oh, you're right. I can't believe I didn't think of that." She facepalms, then we start stalking the guy from the Red Team, as quietly as we can.

He leads us to the right, then to the left. His flashlight beam is surprisingly easy to follow. After a few minutes, he finally leads us up a flight of stairs to the exit. He walks out of the open door, and as soon as he's gone, Elodie and I peek out of the doorway.

The red flag is at the end of the unusually wide hallway.

I gasp a little louder than I meant to, and Elodie pulls me down again.

"Did you see it?" I'm grinning with the excitement. "We found it- by accident!"

"Yeah, now be quiet, or else they're going to catch us before we can get to it." She whispers. "We need a plan."

**Lauren's POV**

I've swept nearly the whole school, and I still haven't found the blue team's flag. Where could it possibly be?

I round a corner, and suddenly, right in front of me, there are three kids from the red team. One's holding a paintball gun, one has no weapon, and the third is holding a pair of nunchucks.

I flatten myself against the wall, hoping that they don't see me. I could take them on if the paintball gun was out of the equation. But fighting someone with a paintball gun is just suicide, especially when they've got backup.

I try to listen in to their conversation. Maybe they can tell me where the flag is.

"I used up all my ammo." A girl groans. "What do I do now?"

"Just keep on holding the gun. It'll scare off any Reds that see you." The boy with the nunchucks says.

Wait, no ammo?

Perfect.

I jump out of the shadows, and do a dragon kick at the cute boy with the nunchucks. He goes down. That was almost too easy.

The girl with the paintball gun aims her gun at me, finger on the trigger. The boy with no weapon goes into a fighting stance.

First things first. I fake to the left, then do a roundhouse kick, knocking the girl's gun out of her hands. It spins away, landing on the ground five feet away. The boy- I recognize him from my math class, I think his name is Colt- throws a punch at me. I grab his arm and flip him. He goes down.

I back the remaining girl into a corner.

"I'm not afraid of you." She

I don't reply. I aim a punch at her, but she ducks, and punches me in the stomach. I do a low, sweeping kick, but she jumps over it and does a flip over my head. I whirl around, but she's faster than me and flips me. I land hard on the cold concrete, the air knocked out of my lungs. I hear feet pounding on the pavement, running away.

Note to self: Never underestimate anyone.

I guess I'm out.

**Kim's POV**

I give Elodie the thumbs up, and she bursts out of the doorway, sprinting noisily down the hallway in the opposite direction of the flag.

"Hey!" I hear a girl's high pitched voice yell.

"Get her!" Someone else growls, and I hear footsteps stampeding away, as Elodie runs as fast as she can.

I poke my head out the door. I don't have a lot of time. The hallway is deserted, thanks to Elodie's diversion. I creep the 30 meters down the hallway to the flag. I'm almost within arm's reach of the flag when someone pulls me into a headlock and drags me away from it.

"Not so fast, princess." A funny-smelling purple-haired boy a few inches taller than me whispers into my ear. I jab him hard in the stomach with my elbow, causing him to loosen his grip, which allows me to duck out of his headlock. Before he has time to recover, I spin around, kicking him in the chest, and down he goes.

"Blue!" He yells.

Before I have time to turn around, someone else is on me, throwing a punch at my head. I catch her fist the way Jack taught me, then I flip her. She lands on top of the purple-haired boy, who groans in protest.

I take a quick glance at the large door at the end of the room. Two kids are running at me, one with a sword kind of like mine, and one with a really short dagger.

I draw my sword. The kid with the dagger comes first, and he's easy to take. Just a quick tap to the chest and he's out of the running, too. But the boy with the sword, he's pretty tough. He twirls the sword over his head, cockily, before lunging at me, his sword tip aiming at my stomach. I block it, but he strikes again. This time, when I block his strike, I also send his sword flying. He scrambles to get it, but the hilt falls right into my outstretched hand, and he runs away in fear.

My eyes flick to the side, where a blond boy is creeping up on me, probably hoping to flip me or something before I can see him. I watch him out of the corner of my eye.

"Not so fast." I say. He tenses up, and I laugh. Elodie chooses that moment to run through the door, panting.

"Kim-"

"One sec." I say to her, and take out the guy with a sweeping kick without even looking. "You were saying?"

"I ran as fast as I could and lost them, but they're coming back. Quick, get the flag!"

"Right." I turn around, and run for the flag. My attackers have driven mea good fifty meters from it. Wow, this is one long hallway. I'm almost halfway there when I hear Elodie yell.

"Kim! Look out!"

I turn around and duck right before a sneaker can connect with my cheek. I feint to the right, then throw a punch to the left. The blond boy I'm fighting catches the punch and flips me, but I manage to land on my feet and wrap my left arm around his neck in a choke hold. When I'm sure he can't move, I draw my sword with my right hand and tap him lightly on the chest.

"You're out." I grin.

"I know." He groans.

I look around for Elodie. Hopefully, while I was occupied with fighting this guy, she got the flag.

But she's gone.

I hear her yell, "Hi-yah! Take that!", but I can't see her.

I decide that she's probably fine, but-"Oof!" I grunt, as a purple and black skater shoe slams into my side.

"Jack?" I ask, confused, but he's already twirling his bo staff above his head.

"Sorry, Kim, but I can't let you get the flag." He says, smiling apologetically.

"I get it. Now, you're going down, Jack." I grin.

My sword and his staff clang together as they connect, hard.

"Not without a fight, I'm not." Jack says. He twists his bo staff, and my sword goes flying into the air. It clatters to a stop right beside the flag.

"Uh oh." I mutter. That's when I remember- I've got another sword. I pull it out just in time to block Jack's next blow. He twirls his staff again, then tries to hit me on the side with it. Again, I block it, then just as he draws back, I move to tap him on the chest. But he's ready for my attack, and he ducks just in time. My sword slices through the air just above his head, and with my other hand, I attempt to yank his bo staff out of his hand.

He resists, though, and pulls hard on the bo staff with my hand still on it. I stumble towards him, losing my balance. That's all it takes for him to send my other sword flying through the air.

The next few minutes are filled with ducks, punches, and kicks, as I struggle to avoid his bo staff while attempting to flip him at the same time. Not an easy feat. A few times, I don't duck in time and his bo staff hits my leg or arm, but, luckily, never my torso.

Once, when I'm spinning away from one of his attacks, I catch sight of the corridor behind us. It's filled with kids, mostly from the red team. They're just standing there, watching us. I don't even think all of them are out. That's weird. Why aren't they helping Jack or fighting the few Team Blues that are standing in the crowd? And why aren't the Blues running for the flag?

This is messed up, I decide, as one of my jabs finally connects with Jack's arm. He wasn't expecting it, and I take the opportunity to grab his bo staff and toss it away.

It's down to hand to hand now, Jack.

He instantly launches into a flying spin kick, which I counter with a duck then a low sweeping kick when he lands. It comes unexpectedly to him, and before he can regain his balance, I grab his arm and flip him. He lands on the carpet, looking up at me with wide, surprised eyes.

I turn on my heel, walking the short ten steps to the flag. I've been driving Jack towards the flag this entire time, and he didn't even notice. I briefly hesitate before my hands touch it, glancing over my shoulder at the amassed crowd of boys and girls, all in black gis.

Then, without any further hesitation, I grab the deep red flag and lift it over my head in victory. Everyone cheers, and for a moment, I'm confused. Why would the losing team be cheering?

But I quickly dismiss the thought. They can cheer if they want to; it's a free country.

The cheers quickly turn to murmurs, and the crowd parts respectfully to reveal none other but the headmaster of the school, walking towards me.

He stops a few feet away from me.

"Kimberly Crawford." He says in a deep voice. I look at him, nervous.

"Yes, sir."

"That was magnificent. You displayed extraordinary skills in hand to hand combat as well as sword fighting. You were able to hold out against one of our finest students armed with a bo staff, and you with no weapon of your own. I have never seen such athletic prowess from a girl your age." He nods at me, smiling.

The crowd hushes.

"Thank you, sir." I do my best to smile back, but the truth is, I'm a little stunned. The headmaster of the Otai Academy just called my little spar with Jack magnificent?

I watch as Jack picks himself off the ground. Instead of being mad as I thought he'd be, he actually looks… Proud? He's smiling at me.

"We here at the Otai Academy would be extremely honored if you would come here to study martial arts full time, with a full, four-year scholarship."

"You just said what now?" I stare at him, uncomprehendingly.

He chuckles. "Kim, I'm offering you a full scholarship to the Otai Academy."

**Oooh… A scholarship… haha! Hope you enjoyed all the action and whatnot, and please please please review! Pretty please with a cherry on top?**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	12. You'd Have To Be Mad Not To Take It!

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys!**

**I think in the reviews for one of the chapters, a guest asked me to say when I'm going to update next. The truth is, I have got no idea. My schedule is pretty unstable, so I can't really say in advance when my next update will be. MusicMusicMusic and Guest, hope that answers your questions : )**

**On to the story….**

**Previously on I Won't Give Up On Us…**

**Kim's POV**

"Kimberly Crawford." He says in a deep voice. I look at him, nervous.

"Yes, sir."

"That was magnificent. You displayed extraordinary skills in hand to hand combat as well as sword fighting. You were able to hold out against one of our finest students armed with a bo staff, and you with no weapon of your own. I have never seen such athletic prowess from a girl your age." He nods at me, smiling.

The crowd hushes.

"Thank you, sir." I do my best to smile back, but the truth is, I'm a little stunned. The headmaster of the Otai Academy just called my little spar with Jack magnificent?

I watch as Jack picks himself off the ground. Instead of being mad as I thought he'd be, he actually looks… Proud? He's smiling at me.

"We here at the Otai Academy would be extremely honored if you would come here to study martial arts full time, with a full, four-year scholarship."

"You just said what now?" I stare at him, uncomprehendingly.

He chuckles. "Kim, I'm offering you a full scholarship to the Otai Academy."

* * *

**Still Kim's POV**

Did he just say what I think he just said?

"A scholarship?" I ask, struck dumb and overcome with shock. He nods, smiling. "Wow. That's just… wow."

"Do you accept?"

"Umm…. Do I have to accept now? I mean, can I have a few days to think this over?" I bite my lip nervously.

"Of course you can. I am sure you will make the right choice."

He turns around to address the kids.

"The Blue Team is victorious. I will ensure none of you will have chores for a week." The blues cheer. "Cora Lee, Jake Blumenberg, Anna Wilson, Connie Carlson, and Jonah Mory, you have kitchen duty for a week, starting today."

With that, he walks away.

As soon as he's out of sight, I sink to the floor.

Did that really just happen to me?

**Jack's POV**

Kim collapses in a heap on the floor. I'm not sure if it's exhaustion or shock, but either way, I'm the first person at her side.

"Kim? You okay?" I ask, concerned. I help her up.

"Yeah. He just.. scholarship.." She mutters.

"I know! Isn't it great?" I smile. She sways on her feet. "Whoa, don't fall." I wrap my arm around her shoulders. "You totally deserve the scholarship. That was amazing. No one's beat me in ages."

"That should teach you a lesson- don't get too full of yourself, or else I'm going to have to come along and kick your butt." Kim smirks.

"Kim! That was awesome!" Elodie hugs her. "Not only did you beat Jack, you also beat my brother! No one's been able to beat either of them in months!"

"Your brother?" Kim asks.

"Right. Kim, this is Elliot, my twin brother. Elliot, this is Kim, Jack's best friend from home." She pushes Elliot forward.

"You have killer moves, girl." Elliot grins, flashing her his dimples. Jealously hits me for a second, but it quickly fades away.

"Thanks." Kim replies.

"Talk about epic, Kim!" Lauren says, twirling a paintball gun in her hand. "I was so close to finding your flag, but I heard some blonde chick was beating up guys left and right near the Red flag, and I figured I should probably come and check it out. And, well, it was worth it. You were epic."

Kim smiles. "Thanks."

"Hey, guys, we should probably get going. It's almost dinner." Sam observes. As she pulls her hair tie off and shakes her hair out, I notice that her red hair has a dark, black paint stain near the ends on the left side of her head.

She notices me looking. "Paintball gun." She says grimly.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." Elliot says, wincing.

"Meh. It wasn't that bad." Sam grins.

"Lauren, can we drop by your dorm room before dinner? I left my clothes there." Kim says.

"Oh, sure. Guys, we're gonna get going. See you at dinner? Oh, and Elliot, get changed or something. No offense, but you smell." Lauren wrinkles her nose.

"Okay. None taken." Elliot says.

I watch as Kim, Lauren, and Elodie walk away, chattering.

It's nice to have Kim here. I sure hope she accepts the scholarship offer.

**Kim's POV**

"I still can't believe you beat Jack, Kim." Lauren says. "How did you do it?"

"Well, I know him really well. I used to spar with him almost every day. I know almost all of his moves, and even though he's learned a lot of new ones, during real fights he usually reverts to his usual flying kick, punch, duck and punch routine.

I've seen it hundreds of times, so I knew what to expect even before it happened. It's not that I'm better than him, really, it's just that I know him so well that I know what he's going to do before he even does it." I shrug modestly.

"Aww, that's so cute." Elodie grins cheekily.

"What's cute?" I ask.

"How you know him so well. You know, he's always talking about you. And you should've seen the look in his eyes when he saw you standing there behind him. The guy really likes you." Elodie says.

Seeing my skeptical look, Lauren adds, "It's true, Kim. We've all seen it."

"I don't know, you really think so?"

"We know so." Lauren says.

"Are you going to accept the scholarship? Please, please, please say yes!" Elodie pleads, with a complete change of subject. "It would be so awesome having you here. And I know someone would be really happy." She winks at me.

"I don't know, it's a difficult decision. I'm going to have to send a letter to my mom and dad to ask their permission first. Then, well, I'm going to have to weigh the pros and the cons, I guess, as Milton would say."

**At dinner…. Still Kim's POV**

"Chica!" Jerry says, as Elodie, Lauren, and I sit down at the table, my plate heaped high with spaghetti and delicious-smelling garlic bread. I'm starving.

"Hi, Jerry, Jack, Milton, Eddie, Luke, Sam, Elliot."

"Hi." They all murmur back.

"Is it true you got a scholarship to the Otai Academy?" Milton asks.

"You bet!" Elodie grins. "You should've seen her, she was amazing. Took down all those guys like it was a piece of cake."

"It was nothing." I shrug.

"So, are you going to take it?" Eddie asks, shoveling spaghetti into his mouth.

"I don't know. I've got to think about it. I can't just abandon you guys like that."

"But it's a full scholarship! You'd have to be mad not to take it! Besides, we don't want to be the reason you turn it down." Milton says, and Eddie and Jerry agree with him.

"Please, please, please, accept. You're so talented, and it would be so much fun to get to know you better." Sam smiles at me. I notice that she hasn't gotten the black stain out of her hair yet. Elodie and Lauren nod enthusiastically.

"Thanks for the support, guys. I'll think about it." I say.

**That night… still Kim's POV… again…**

I'm sitting on my bed in my favorite purple pajamas and listening to music when I hear a knock on the door.

"Kim? You in there?" Jack calls.

"Come in." I take my earbuds out.

The door opens and Jack pokes his head in. "Hey, Kim. What you listening to?"

He walks in and sits down beside me, on my bed.

"Oh, Mirrors by Cimorelli. It's a cover.(Honestly, I'm a huge fan of Cimorelli. I just had to throw that in.)" I reply.

"Is it any good?"

"Yeah."

We're silent for a bit. I yawn. Then more silence.

"It's nice having you here. You have no clue how much I missed you. I missed you so much, some days I couldn't even concentrate on anything." Jack says quietly. "I'm so glad you're finally here."

"Aww, Jack, that's so sweet of you. I missed you a lot too." I hug him, and he hugs me back."So, how's life been?"

"It's all right. My new friends are great, but they're not you and the gang. Training here is awesome, and so is the food. The teachers here are even nicer than the ones in Cali." Jack says.

"It sounds like this place is pretty cool." I say.

"It is. You really should take the scholarship. Having you here with me would be the best thing possible." He smiles, hopefully.

"Really?" I ask, incredulously. This guy is surrounded by pretty girls, and still, having me with him would be the best thing possible?

"Really." He smiles again, shyly.

"Jack, we never got a chance to talk about the letters." I say, and immediately regret it. I wasn't planning on bringing that up.

"Oh. Kim, if you were wondering, I still feel the exact same way about you as I did when I wrote that letter. Nothing will ever change that."

"So you haven't fallen for another girl or something?" I ask, cautiously.

"No, why would you think that?" Hurt flashes in his eyes.

"Oh, I just thought that with all the girls so much better at martial arts and so much prettier than me around, you would've found someone else already." I look at my feet, not meeting his eyes.

"Kim. Kim, look at me. Stop putting yourself down. You are prettier than all of these girls combined, and you're naturally talented at karate. None of those girls even hold a candle to you."

"Thanks." I close my eyes. I'm so tired…

**Jack's POV**

Kim slumps against me, her eyes closed.

"Kim?" I shake her. She snores, softly. She's asleep.

I lift her up and lay her on the bed, tucking her in under her covers.

"Good night, Kim." I whisper, then turn out the lights and tiptoe out of her room.

**Zzzz… so exhausted… all I can think about is sleep, so I had Kim fall asleep… haha! I know that was random. I'm probably going to read this chapter tomorrow morning and think, wow, that's terrible. But I'm going to go to sleep now… yay…..**

** Anyways, enough of that. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review! Do you think Kim should take the scholarship, or turn it down?**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	13. These Two Really Do Look Cute Together

**Hi, I'm back, and this time I'm awake (haha), well, at least a bit more than last time. Thanks for all the reviews!**

** For those of you wondering, the FF police did delete my other story, Battle to the Death. I'm pretty disappointed, but I'm not going to retaliate and put it back up again, because only nine people read the last chapter when I checked. Just letting you know if you were wondering where it went.**

**If any of you are looking for a great story to read, go check out LittleLionGal's story Alphabet Love Stories: Kick. It's really good : )**

**On to the story…**

**Lauren's POV**

"Lauren, Lauren, Lauren!" Elodie squeals.

"What?" I ask, from inside my closet, where I'm sorting my hats. I pick up a pretty blue and purple snapback with the words 'Cali Swag' scrawled across the front. I smile, remembering how I bought this cap one day when my friends and I had been out shopping, back in my hometown of Sacramento, California.

"Jack just walked out of Kim's room. He was smiling."

"So..?" I turn around to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Jack. Kim. Alone together in a room." She rolls her eyes. "Do you know what that means?"

"Elodie, just because Jack likes her doesn't mean she likes him back. Them being alone in Kim's bedroom isn't solid proof that they're together. They're just friends, like both of them keep on telling everyone. For goodness sake, you don't even know for sure that Jack likes her."

Earlier, Kim asked me to try and convince Elodie that she and Jack getting together isn't really important. I guess Elodie's been bugging Kim about it. I turn back around, going back to my hat sorting. Ooh, another purple snapback.

"Or do I?" Elodie sing-songs. I turn back around.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean that I may or may not have proof that Jack likes Kim." She says, suppressing a grin.

"No way! Where?" I drop the snapback on the ground, and run over to where she's sitting on her bed. "Show me!"

"Only if you admit that Jack and Kim should get together." She smirks.

"Oh, fine. Now show me?"

"You have to say it…."

"Jack. And Kim. Should get together. Happy now?" I say, grudgingly. Sorry, Kim, but it really is true!

She hands me her phone. "Here, see?" I squint at it. "Try zooming in." She takes the phone, does something, and hands it back to me. My eyes quickly scan over the picture.

I gasp. "Elodie.. have you been going through Kim's stuff?"

"No. I found it by accident, I promise. It was sitting on Kim's bed earlier when I went inside to get a pencil I left on her desk." She looks at me with wide, innocent eyes.

"And you took a picture of it."

"Uh huh. But you've gotta admit, you would've done the same thing." She bounces on the bed.

"No, I wouldn't. I don't invade anyone's privacy like that."

"Whatever. Anyways, see, I have proof Jack likes Kim!"

"Or used to, at least." I mutter, looking at the screen. Elodie hears me.

"Why would you say that?"

"This is dated almost seven months ago." I flip the phone around and show her the screen.

"Psh. That doesn't mean he doesn't still like her."

I sigh in exasperation. "Elodie, just give it a break, okay? If they really like each other, like you so enthusiastically suggest, then they'll get together of their own accord. I'm going to bed. Night."

"Okay. Night."

**The next day, Rudy's POV**

"Kim, you have to take the scholarship. I'll have not only one, but two students at the Academy, both on full scholarships. Do you know what that would mean for me?" I exclaim, upon hearing Kim's news.

"Rudy, trust me, I'd really love to, but there's so much holding me back. For one thing, where are you going to get another black belt to represent the dojo?" She questions, sadly.

"Kim. I don't want you to worry about that. Think about what's best for you, not what's best for the rest of us. Whatever you decide, we'll make it work. I think you'll make the right choice, no, I know you'll make the right choice." I tell her, caught up in one of my rare mature moments.

"Thanks, but I don't know, Rudy. I'll think about it, okay? It's not exactly an easy decision." She sighs. "I'm gonna go. I'll see you later." Grabbing her skateboard, speeds away around the corner, leaving me sitting under a Japanese maple tree alone with my thoughts.

I really need to find a way to convince her to take the scholarship. I don't know if she realizes how rarely the Otai Academy offers scholarships. Jack getting a scholarship was almost unbelievable, but if Kim takes this, too, that would be incredible.

**Jack's POV**

I didn't see Kim at breakfast or lunch today. It's a Monday, so I had pretty much all academic classes until about eleven in the morning. I wasn't really surprised that Milton showed up in both my Science and Math classes. He said that even though the rest of the gang was on summer holidays, it didn't mean he had to be, so he's taking classes here in order to be ahead in the fall.

I head over to the karate section of the dojo on the ground floor for training. There are three dojos at the Academy: There are two on the ground floor for karate, kendo, judo, tae kwon do, and Brazilian ju-jitsu and a few more types of martial arts. The third floor dojo is slightly smaller than the other two, and it focuses on more obscure and rare types of martial arts, such as Luke's stick licking thing. And those are just the dojos. There are countless more fitness and weight training rooms, an underground swimming pool, and even a small track for distance running training. It all seemed a little extravagant when I first got here, but in the months I've been here, I've gotten used to it. It sort of makes sense that it's so expensive to study here, come to think of it.

I push the ornate wood doors open and step into a sunlit room with purple and black mats lining the floor, a mirror covering one wall, and punching dummies and other karate equipment lined up against another wall. It's the place that's almost become like my third home- my first home is Seaford in general, and my second is the Bobby Wasabi Dojo. My fourth would have to be Kim's house. Wait, why am I counting my homes?

The room's deserted, since I finished my lunch early and am here just over half an hour before class starts. Most of the other kids are probably still eating or socializing, but today, I feel like starting training early.

"Hi-yah! Hah! Ha-cha!" A girl yells fiercely, as I hear a dummy fall over. Sharply glancing to my right, I'm captivated by what I see.

Illuminated by a beam of sunlight, a beautiful blonde girl with her back to me is staring down at the dummy- no, the three dummies- that are lying on the floor in front of her. Her shoulders heave with exertion, and her hair seems to be glowing. Inexplicably drawn to her, I realize that I'm standing ten feet closer to her than I was five seconds ago, with no memory of having moved.

As if sensing my presence, she turns around.

Oh, snap, that's Kim.

"Hey, Jack." She greets me, and hoists the dummies up so they're standing. "What's up?"

I try to pretend the last ten seconds never happened. You know, the ten seconds when I didn't know it was Kim standing there? When I was so busy staring at her I didn't even notice I was moving towards her?

"Hi, Kim. Where have you been all morning?" I try to stick my hands in my pockets, then I remember that this gi doesn't have pockets. I'm left, awkwardly, with my hands resting on my legs. Inwardly, I groan. Way to go, Jack. Luckily for me, Kim doesn't notice, or, at least, she pretends not to.

"Oh, here and there. I talked to the headmaster-"

I interrupt her. Does this mean what I think it means? "You accepted the scholarship?" I blurt. She glares at me. "Oh, sorry, go on."

"Sorry, Jack. Not yet. It's not an easy decision- you of all people should know that. Anyways, as I was saying," she shoots a pointed glance at me. I shrug, innocently. "I talked to the headmaster, and even though I haven't accepted the scholarship yet, he said I can have free use of all the facilities, just like a student."

"So.. that means you 're going to be training here with us?" I guess, a smile creeping over my face.

"Yep, pretty much. I came here to practice instead of going to lunch because it's been a few days since I last practiced." She explains. "I'm a little scared I won't be as good as you guys." She admits quietly, looking down at her hands.

"Kim, are you kidding me? You took all those guys down single-handedly in Capture the Flag last night- which, for the record? Incredibly cool. You are definitely, no doubt, one hundred per cent as good as the rest of us, if not better." I assure her.

"You really think so?" She looks up at me, a small smile on her face.

"I know so. Hey, wanna spar?" I suggest.

Her face lights up. It's been a long, long time since we've sparred, not counting last night, of course. I've got to say, I actually miss sparring with her. She's the only person I've ever met who's able to predict my every move. Sure, it can get pretty frustrating at times, but it's challenging and I like that.

"Sure." She grins, biting her lip.

We walk over to where a bright red circle is printed on the mat, and step inside.

"First person to step out of the circle or get flipped wins?" Kim asks.

"Yep. Just like usual."

**Lauren's POV**

I walk into the dojo, and am greeted by sounds of sparring. Hm. I guess I'm not the first one here today.

I look over at the circles. A blonde and a brunet (the masculine form of brunette, in case you were wondering)…. Must be Jack and Kim.

I walk over there, then sit down on the nearest bench to unlace my blue and black sneakers. Neither of them notice me, instead, they're too busy trying to flip each other. I watch them spar. Wow, they're good. It's actually pretty cool seeing them fight. Kim dodges most of Jack's punches, which is a pretty incredible feat considering he punches so fast that his fists almost look like blurs.

Ducking under yet another punch, she grabs his arm and flips him. No way, she just beat Jack. She's epic- and even that's an understatement.

But then, they freeze. Like, literally, freeze. Kim's hand is still holding Jack's arm, Jack's lying on his back on the ground, and…. They're staring into each other's eyes? What? And smiling?

Ten slow seconds pass. They're still not moving. This is getting weird. No, scratch that. This is getting extremely odd. Yep, using some fancy words I learned in English class.

"Umm… guys?" I stand up and carefully make my way towards them. "Guys? Hello?"

**Kim's POV**

His eyes…. In that moment, I unintentionally press the mute button on the rest of the world and focus on him. I can't tear my eyes away. Chocolate, that's the first word that comes to mind. His eyes are like chocolate.

**Jack's POV**

I stare up at Kim. Strands of her blonde hair are sticking out of her braid, and the sunlight's still making her hair glow- and her eyes.

Beautiful.

**Lauren's POV**

I grab Kim's shoulders, shaking her hard. "Kim!"

"Wh-what?" She finally snaps out of it, glancing around. "Oh, hi, Lauren."

That's when she looks down and sees that she's still holding Jack's arm. She awkwardly lets go of him.

"Sorry." They both mumble at the same time, both looking down.

Okay… what just happened?

Is it just me, or were they just lost in each other's eyes? Like, you know, the cliché 'lost in your eyes' sort of thing?

Elodie's right. These two really do look cute together.

** Kim's POV, four hours later.**

I slip my carefully penned letter into the mail slot at the post office. It's addressed to my mom and dad, telling them about the scholarship offer. I've labeled it 'Urgent: Air Mail' so that they'll get it right away, even though it costs quite a bit more.

Now, all I have to do is wait for their reply. Then, I'll make my decision.

**So.. I guess this was sort of a filler chapter- I guess it really depends on how you look at it. Anyways, I hope you liked it! Pretty pretty please review?**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	14. A Difficult Decision

**Hey, guys! I'm so sorry I was MIA for a few days-I know a lot of you were asking me to update already, so here it is. Hope you like this chapter! Credits to IfSacrificesWereEasy for suggesting that I include a POV of one of the gang.**

** A week later…. Jack's POV**

Kim opens the envelope we found in her mailbox, and I watch her as she reads the letter.

"What did they say?" I ask her. Please, let them say that she can stay here.

Wordlessly, she hands the letter to me. I unfold it carefully.

_Kim,_

_ This is such amazing news! I am so proud of you. Your dad and I both want you to know that we are thrilled for you. I'm giving you my permission to stay in Japan- if you decide to, we'll just send your belongings to you. In the end, though, it's your choice whether you want to take the scholarship or not. Whatever decision you make, we will support you all the way. I believe in you, honey, and I know for sure that you'll make the right decision. Try not to worry about it too much, and I know this will sound cheesy, but follow your heart, okay? Don't turn the scholarship down just because you're worried about us. _

I look up from the letter. "What does she mean by 'worried about us'?" I ask Kim.

"Oh, my dad lost his job last month, so I've been working a few jobs after school to help support my family, and my little sister in particular. Without that money, my little sister will have to quit her dance classes." She replies, looking down.

"Oh." I nod in understanding and sympathy. "I know how you feel." I go back to reading the letter.

_We'll be fine, I promise. Remember, when there's a will, there's a way. Try and enjoy your time in Japan, okay, hun? I love you. Oh, and your sister drew you a picture. It should be in the envelope._

_ Lots of love, Mom._

I hand the letter back to Kim, who exchanges a small piece of paper for it. I unfold the paper. On it is a pencil sketch of Kim doing a roundhouse kick, and beside her, a little girl doing a pirouette. Both drawings look very lifelike.

"Your sister drew these?" I hold up the paper. Even though I've been to Kim's house countless times, I've never actually met her sister. Weird, huh? It's because she's almost always out of the house, I guess. Kim nods. "Wow, she's talented." Kim nods again. "You okay?" I ask, noticing how she's still looking down. Something's bothering her.

"I'm fine." She sighs heavily.

"No, you're not. I know you better than that. What's bugging you?"

She sighs again. "I really want to take this scholarship. Karate means everything to me. But so do my family, and the gang, and the Bobby Wasabi Dojo, and Seaford. I would accept in an instant, but… I don't know. It's like I can't, because my family and friends back in Seaford need me. I can't help but remember that each and every time someone asks me if I'm going to accept or not." A silent tear rolls down her cheek, and she wipes it away angrily.

Oh. "Kim, you've gotta stop worrying. Sometimes, you just have to go your own way. Anyways, if you keep on overthinking this, it's not going to help anything. Come on, let's go get a waffle or something." I stand up, but she doesn't move. "Chocolate chips….?" I tempt her. "Maple syrup… Sprinkles… Come on, you know you want to."

"Oh, all right." She gives in. "You win. Let's go."

**Jerry's POV**

Mmm… yummy waffle. Uh oh, I think I'm turning into Eddie. I take another crunchy bite of the waffle, and see Jack and Kim heading towards me with their own waffles. They're walking really close together- what's up with that?

"Hey, chica! Hey, Jack." I say, around a mouthful of waffle. This is the fifth waffle I've had in the last three hours. I think I'm addicted, but you can't really blame me. I've never tasted anything that swag before.

"Hi, Jerry." Jack says, but he's not looking at me. He's looking at Kim. Rude much, yo.

"Hey, Jerry. What's up?" Kim watches me as I wolf down the rest of my waffle.

"Have you noticed how many hot girls there are here? I'm gonna get me a Japanese girlfriend!" I tell them.

"I guess you're back to normal, then, Jerry." Kim smiles, and tucks her hair behind her ear.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I glance at her, quizzically.

"You're gonna hit on girls again. You haven't done that in months." She replies.

I stare at her blankly. She sighs. "Never mind."

Again, I notice how close together they're standing. I watch as their arms brush against each other for a brief second. Their eyes meet, then Kim quickly down. A second later, Jack looks away, too. He also coughs, and it's not the sick kind of cough. Then, Kim glances back at Jack, who also looks back at her. This time, they don't look away. Okay… that's confusing. What's going on here…? Why are they acting like that?

"Hey, what's up with you two?" I question. Might as well.

They abruptly end their staring contest.

"N-nothing." Kim shakes her head, a blush starting to creep onto her cheeks.

"What do you mean, what's up with us?" Jack asks.

"You guys are acting a little weird." I raise my eyebrows, smoothly. It's even pretty obvious to me that they're acting weird, and I even know I'm always confused. Wait, did that even make sense?

"No, we're not." Kim tilts her head to the side, and laughs really loudly. A few seconds later, the fake smile disappears from her face instantly. Something's bugging me about that laugh. Fake, that's what it was. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, just the fact that you guys are acting really weird."

"Okay…." Jack says. "We're not, but anyways, look, Jerry, there's a hot girl for you to hit on!" He points to a tall redhead.

The two of them are forgotten as I race over to the girl and introduce myself, Jerry style. She looks really familiar….

**Jack's POV**

Kim and I watch as Jerry goes to make a fool out of himself in front of Sam.

"Wasn't that sort of mean, Jack? Directing his attention to a girl who's very obviously out of his league?" Kim giggles. Whoa, Kim's giggling. That's a first.

"I guess. But he was going to do it eventually." I say.

"True." Kim nods. "Let's go somewhere else. I don't really feel like watching Jerry get rejected. It's almost… sad, how often it happens."

"Yeah." I agree, then I have an idea. "Hey, do you still use my skateboard?"

"Uh huh, I brought it with me. Why?"

"You wanna come skateboarding with me?" I suggest.

She bites her lip, then smiles."Sure. I bet you I'm almost as good as you now."

We start walking to the dorm rooms.

"I doubt it."

"You'll see."

"No, I really doubt it."

"No, I really think I'm as good as you."

"Nah. There's no way you can be. You've been skating for, what, three months?"

"Six!"

"Fine. But I still don't think you're as good as me."

"I'll prove it."

**Kim's POV**

Jack and I spend the last half hour of our afternoon free time trying to beat each other at skateboarding tricks. In the end, he was able to do more than me. I guess I'm not as good as him yet, but the day will come when I am.

It's around eight fifteen in the evening now. I wander through the quiet hallways of the student dorms. This floor is quieter than the floor above my room. They're always playing loud music and sometimes, it even sounds like a horde of elephants are up there. Talk about party animals.

I walk past the room Rudy and Milton are sharing, then stop and backtrack when I hear Rudy's voice.

"No, you can't evict me! I promise, I have the rent right here. I'll pay it as soon as I get back." He sounds pretty stressed. There's silence for a moment, and I'm about to move on, when he starts talking again.

"Please, please, please, I'm begging you. I may not be the best tenant, but I desperately need to keep this dojo. It means the world to me and my students."

What I'm getting from this is, the mall owner wants to kick us out of the dojo because Rudy's not paying rent.

"Let me scrape together enough money, and-" He pleads, but is cut off by the person on the other end of the line. "No, you don't understand, I really can't-"

A few more minutes pass, with Rudy trying several tactics- begging, pleading, asking nicely, even threatening- to try to convince the person on the other end that he has enough money to pay the rent, as long as he's given enough time. In the end, Rudy wins. He hangs up the phone with a loud groan that I can hear through the door.

"Where am I going to get that money?" He mutters to himself.

I start walking again, passing by Jack's room, where I was originally headed. I think I'm going to go practice, instead. I feel a strong need to beat up a dummy..

**Fifteen minutes later….**

I walk into the karate dojo, a black bag slung over my shoulder. I expected it to be dark, like the rest of the area, but the lights are on inside. I wonder who's here right now; most of the students are relaxing and hanging out at this time of the night.

"Milton?" I call, seeing him kicking and punching a dummy at an insane speed. He doesn't hear me. Finally, the dummy falls down, but he just stands it back up again and continues to brutally assault it. The poor dummy….

I run over and tap him on the shoulder. He turns around.

"Hey, Kim."

"Milton… why are you here so late? And are you trying to kill that dummy? Take it are you practicing so hard?"

"I need to train. I have to get my black belt within the next few months. I'm at a brown belt now, I ranked up last week. Rudy needs another black belt to win some tournaments, because he needs the prize money. I overheard him talking on the phone.

Kim, they're going to kick us out without money for the rent, and Rudy isn't enrolling you in very many tournaments because he doesn't want to wear you out. So I need this black belt. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dummy to kill." He cracks a wan smile, then goes back to punching the dummy.

I watch him for a while, then drag a state-of-the-art punching dummy away from the wall. It's so cool, because it actually fights back. I stand in my favorite fighting stance, then start hitting the dummy. It swings a padded metal arm at me. I duck, tuning out the rest of the world as I spar with the dummy. I'm alone with my thoughts now.

_Punch._

What will happen to the dojo if I move here?

_Kick._

Rudy can't lose another student, much less his only black belt right now.

_Kick. Jab. Duck._

Even if Milton ranks up, it still won't be enough. The dojo will still be struggling.

_Punch. Duck._

And what about my family? What will happen to my sister's dance and drawing classes? If karate is my life, then dance is hers. Without the extra money I bring in, she'll have to quit those. She's not going to like that.

_Kick. Duck. Ow. Kick._

What can I do? I'm torn in between what I want to do, and the people who need me. I can't just abandon Rudy, the guys, and my family like that. They need me more than I need this scholarship. Sure, this could guarantee a solid future in martial arts, but…. I don't know if I can take it. I'd be betraying the people I care about, after they've done so much for me.

_Punch. Kick._

This is such a difficult decision.

**Two days later..**

**Kim's POV**

I stand outside the headmaster's office with Rudy, who's wringing his hands nervously. I'm nervous, too.

"You're sure that this is what you want?" he asks for what's got to be the hundredth time in the last hour.

"Yes, I'm sure." I nod, almost completely confident. I say almost because part of me doesn't want to do this.

"Okay, if you say so…." He replies, as the door opens.

"Come in, Rudy and Kim." The headmaster ushers us in, and tells us to sit down. He, too, sits down behind an organized wooden desk.

"So, Kim, I trust you have thought about the scholarship?" He leans forward, hands clasped, eyes on mine.

"Yes."

"And your final decision?" He questions.

"Well….." I hesitate. Am I really sure this is what I want to do? "I…"

**Bwahahaha, I just had to end it there. I feel so evil…. But then again, I'm also sleep-deprived, so that accounts for part of it.**

** If you've got time, please check out my poll on my profile concerning the sequel to The Story Of Us. If you haven't read The Story Of Us, then I guess you can just ignore this.**

** Hope you enjoyed, and please review- pretty please with maple syrup on top? Thanks for reading!**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	15. Almost Is Never Enough

** Hey, guys! I know this is sorta random, but have any of you heard Ariana Grande's new song, Almost Is Never Enough? I had it on replay all day today- I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! So… yeah. Hope you like this chapter!**

** Previously on I Won't Give Up On Us…**

** Kim's POV**

I stand outside the headmaster's office with Rudy, who's wringing his hands nervously. I'm nervous, too.

"You're sure that this is what you want?" he asks for what's got to be the hundredth time in the last hour.

"Yes, I'm sure." I nod, almost completely confident. I say almost because part of me doesn't want to do this.

"Okay, if you say so…." He replies, as the door opens.

"Come in, Rudy and Kim." The headmaster ushers us in, and tells us to sit down. He, too, sits down behind an organized wooden desk.

"So, Kim, I trust you have thought about the scholarship?" He leans forward, hands clasped, eyes on mine.

"Yes."

"And your final decision?" He questions.

"Well….." I hesitate. Am I really sure this is what I want to do? "I…"

**Still Kim's POV**

"I.. thought about it for a really long time, and finally, I made my decision." I bite my lip. Once I say this, there's no going back. "I'm very sorry, but I'm not taking the scholarship." That was actually a little easier to say than I thought it would be. I sit back in my chair, relieved that it's over.

The headmaster's mouth falls open in astonishment.

**Jerry's POV**

I watch Jack as he puts a glass against the door, then presses his ear against the end.

**Jack's POV**

"…. Decision." I hear Kim's beautiful voice, and try to make out what she's saying. "I'm very… taking the scholarship."

**Jerry's POV**

"Can you hear what they'resaying?" I whisper. He nods, then his eyes widen, and he gasps.

"What, what, what?" I forget to whisper, and he glares at me. Dropping the glass on the floor, he turns around to face me.

"Kim's taking the scholarship." He exclaims.

**Kim's POV**

The headmaster is speechless for a moment, then he regains his calm composition.

"You are not taking the scholarship?" He repeats, then murmurs to himself, "I cannot believe it. This has never happened before."

"No, I am not taking the scholarship." I confirm.

"But…. Why?" He looks at me, confused. "It does not make sense. You get to use the state-of-the-art facilities, and you will be taught by the best instructors in the world. And, it is all fully paid. We will even pay for the shipping of your belongings. What more could you ask for?" He tilts his head, brow furrowed. I think he's a little angry, too. Uh oh.

"Well…. It's hard to explain, but I'm going to try. You see, my friends and family back in Seaford need me." I tell him, earnestly. "Look, Rudy's dojo will probably close if I quit to move here. What will happen to my friends? Where will they study karate? And what will Rudy do?

It's not only that- my family really needs the income that I bring in. I don't know what will happen without me. We're struggling enough already. Please, you have to understand." I plead. "It's not that this school isn't too good for me- how could it be? It's just…. My friends and family at home need me." I explain.

He sighs. "You're sure this is your final decision?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Not really, I say inside my head. But he doesn't need to know that I'm having second thoughts already. After all… it would be a dream come true to attend this school.

"All right then. Please remember that the offer is still standing. If you ever happen to change your mind, just come to me and let me know."

"Thank you so much." I respond.

**Rudy's POV, three minutes later.**

I…. I can't believe… I can't believe Kim actually just turned the scholarship down. I was so scared…. But it's all right now. Wait, who am I kidding? It's not. Kim just turned down a full scholarship from the most prestigious karate school in the entire world. You have to be a millionaire to come here, and she just… turned it down. Just like that.

"Kim, I thought I told you not to worry about anyone else. Then, next thing I know, you're telling the headmaster of the Otai Academy that you can't go to his school because of financial problems! And the scholarship is even fully paid. I can't believe you just did that; I thought I taught you better than that." I suddenly explode at her, breaking the silence.

"Rudy, please, you can't tell me to stop caring. Remember the Wasabi Code? What happened to staying loyal? What happened to never saying 'die'? I'm doing the right thing; don't make it any harder for me! You know, this wasn't easy! It took almost all my willpower to say those words.

Even now, I want to run back there and tell the Headmaster that I've changed my mind. But I can't do that, because that would mean betraying almost everyone who's important to me. That's not who I am; I can't do that." Tears form in her eyes as she yells at me. A few start running down her cheeks. Oddly, I don't even care. "This isn't easy for me." She snaps.

"Well, you should've accepted. Do you know how expensive it is to go to this school?" I snap back at her.

"Yes. But I know that some things, like friendship, are more important than money." She retorts sharply.

"Isn't that why you're turning it down, though? Money? You're turning the opportunity of your life down for money! I can't let you do that. I'm going back and telling him you reconsidered." I turn on my heel, ready to do just as I said, but before I can get anywhere, Kim grabs me and turns me back around.

"No, don't do that. I thought you'd understand, but, obviously, you don't. See, this isn't about money, it never was. It's about honor, and loyalty, and staying true to who you are." She clenches her jaw. "That's what I'm trying to do. Stay true to who I am. And Kim Crawford doesn't ever turn her back on her friends."

"Honor, loyalty, staying true to who you are." I mock her, in a high-pitched voice. "That won't make you a good martial artist!" I say, in a normal but angry voice. "And I thought Kim Crawford doesn't cry, either, but look what's happening now. Oh, what? She's crying." I sneer.

"Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!" Her voice rises hysterically. "What is wrong with you? How could you say that? An honor code is what defines a martial artist from a common street fighter! Without it, a martial artist is just someone who knows how to fight." She screams at me.

" It's not just a code, it's a lifestyle. A way of living. And I'm not going to forget that just so I can train at the Academy, because if I did, what kind of a person would that make me?" She's full-out sobbing now, and I almost expect her to run away in tears. But no, she doesn't- instead, she stays.

"It would make you an even better fighter, and that's what matters. Not some stupid honor code." I counter. "Get your priorities straight."

For a moment, she's struck dumb, but she recovers quickly. "What kind of a sensei are you? Don't tell me my priorities aren't straight, because they are. And you can't call the honor code stupid, that's just, well, stupid!" I can tell she's running out of things to say. I watch as another tear makes its way down her cheek, and that's when I realize that she's right. What kind of a sensei am I? I'm relentlessly berating one of my students for doing the right thing and following the honor code!

"Kim, I-" I try to apologize, but she cuts me off with a glare.

"I don't want to hear any more. I'm sick and tired of being judged for making the right decision. I'm trying to do what's right, and you won't understand that. You know what? You disgust me. Get a grip, Rudy! Until you do, I'm done talking to you. See you never, Rudy." She releases her iron grip on my arm, and storms away.

"Kim, wait!" I call after her.

"Save it, Rudy." She yells, not even looking back.

I listen to the pounding of her combat boots on the pavement, fading away. Then I crumple to the paved cobblestone ground, and let my tears fall.

_What kind of a sensei are you?_ Kim's voice echoes in my head._ You disgust me. _

"You're right. Please stop rubbing it in." I mutter out loud.

_You won't understand. You never understand. You're the worst sensei ever. A disgrace. _I twist her words, welcoming the pain that they bring.

My head pounds as I stand up and make my way back to my dorm room, tears still streaming down my face. Luckily, I don't encounter anyone on my way there, but if I do, I'm prepared with a chili pepper allergy story. Works every time.

The room's empty when I get there, but I don't even stop to wonder where Milton is. Instead, I go straight to my bed. Burying my face in my pillow, I cry myself to sleep, like I used to do when I was little.

**Meanwhile.. Sam's POV**

I walk past an insane man who's sitting on the ground, talking to himself, and crying. He almost looks like Rudy, Jack's sensei, but I dispel the notion as soon as it crosses my mind. I honestly doubt Jack's sensei would be caught dead doing… that.

**Kim's POV**

I run all the way to my room, trying to stop my tears. When I finally get there, I slam the door behind me and run blindly to where I'm pretty sure my bed is. But I miscalculate, and instead I run into a wall. I melt onto the floor and cover my face with my hands. Then, I hear someone walking towards me.

I guess the room's not empty, not like I thought.

A strong pair of arms wraps around my waist from behind me, and lifts me up, carrying me to my bed.

"Are you okay, Kimmy?" Jack's voice asks, filled with concern. I'm too upset to tell him not to call me that, so I just ignore it.

"No." I sob. Short, but not sweet.

"Ssh.." Jack strokes my hair, hugging me. "It's okay."

I relax a little, comforted by his touch. It feels so right…

**Jack's POV**

I have no clue what's wrong, but seeing Kim hurt hurts me. I swear, if it's a boy who did this to her… I'll get him for her, whether she likes it or not.

I feel her relax, and she snuggles into me. Her sobs die down to whimpers, then a soft silence.

"What happened, Kim?" I question gently, once she's calm.

"Rudy and I.. " She starts, and I relax. Phew, it's not a boy. "we fought. He said that I did the wrong thing, rejecting the scholarship, and I.." I don't hear the rest of her sentence. What does she mean, she rejected the scholarship?

"What do you mean, you rejected the scholarship?" I realize I interrupted her. "Oops, sorry."

"I turned it down, because my family, Rudy, and the gang need me too much." Her bottom lip quivers, and she bites it. How she does that.. it's so cute…..

"Oh." I say. I guess I shouldn't have celebrated so early. The real reason I'm here was actually to congratulate Kim that she's going to be attending the Academy. I really, truly thought that she accepted, but I guess I heard wrong.

She lays her head on my shoulder, her golden locks spilling over her chest. Even though her eyes are red and swollen, in that moment, I'm sure that I've never seen anyone as beautiful.

"Jack, do you think I made the right decision?" Her voice breaks me out of my reverie.

"Wh- oh. Yeah, you did. Don't let anything Rudy said bug you." I reassure her. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"I hope so, Jack." She replies, softly. "I sure hope so."

She looks up at me, and our noses almost touch. I can't help but look at her soft, pink lips. We're almost, but not quite, kissing. A few more inches and I'd be kissing the girl of my dreams.

Neither of us is willing to move, it seems. She smiles tentatively.

Almost…. It's never enough. I move closer, then closer. It seems like she's thinking the same thing, and we meet in the middle.

Our lips touch, softly. It's still not enough. Kim grabs the back of my head, pulling me closer to her. I close my eyes in pure bliss. This feels so right, I can't even begin to explain it. It's like… it's like my entire life has all been leading up to this moment, this kiss.

A few seconds later, she lets go of me, and we separate.

She smiles, and I do too.

"Kim, I-" She puts a finger on my lips, silencing me.

"Ssh." She giggles, and hugs me.

We fall asleep like that, her in my arms, both of us smiling.

**So.. what did you think? Please please please review, and thanks for reading! (now do you see why this chapter's called 'Almost Is Never Enough? haha!) **

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	16. I Had So Much Hope

**This chapter is going to be shorter than usual, sorry. I'm going to try and post another one tonight, though!**

** Jack's POV, the next morning**

When I wake up, the first thing I notice is the strand of silky blonde hair draped over my nose. Did someone sneak into my room and dye my hair blond? I clench my jaw in anger. Ugh, I'm going to kill whoever did this.

I'm about to roll out of bed when I feel an arm draped over me. What..? I look around, and there, sound asleep and hugging me, is Kim. Wait, this isn't my room- or bed, either, for that matter. What am I doing here?

I try to remember how I got here, retracing the steps I took last night. I found out Kim was taking the scholarship… I came to her room to surprise her….

It all comes flooding back- how she stumbled into the room in tears, how she told me all about her fight with Rudy, how she said she didn't accept the scholarship- oh yeah, that's right. A wave of disappointment washes over me. Then I remember how she asked me if I thought she made the right decision, and how she looked up at me, and the kiss. Oh, right, the kiss.

I stroke Kim's hair. Her face is illuminated by the soft silver moonlight streaming in from her open window, and she looks so much younger when she's asleep. It's like her worries all melt away, leaving her carefree.

I'm almost tempted to stay and watch her sleep, but I figure I should probably go back to my room. If we both come out here in the morning, people might see us and they might speculate that we… I don't want to think about it.

Besides, my hair is probably a mess. I can't have anyone seeing me like this.

As carefully as I can, I pry Kim's arms off of me. I don't want to wake her up. When I remove her second arm, she stirs a little, and I freeze. A few seconds later, though, she goes back to sleep and I kiss her cheek gently before getting out of bed and slipping on my shoes, which I must've taken off at some point last night.

My jeans and shirt are rumpled, and I do my best to smooth them out before I open the door and step into the quiet hallway, squinting when my eyes meet the light.

**Lauren's POV**

It's six in the morning, and the sun hasn't risen yet. I walk out of my room wearing a layered blue and white tank top and a pair of black short-shorts, and my long brown hair tied back in a high ponytail.

Yawning, I rub my eyes. Elodie isn't awake yet, but I am because I couldn't sleep. I decided to go on a run, because before I came to the Academy two and a half years ago, I used to be on the cross-country team at my school. Sometimes, I still go for a run just for the fun of it.

I walk down the hallway, my favorite running shoes silent against the carpeted floor. That's when I hear a door creak open behind me. I glance behind me, and see Jack walking out of Kim's room.

I do a double take, not quite believing what I just saw. Jack just walked out of Kim's room? I take his appearance in- his hair is really messy, and his plaid shirt and black jeans from yesterday are pretty wrinkly. He hasn't seen me yet, as he's shielding his eyes from the light.

"Jack?" I talk quietly, so I won't wake up the other kids on the floor.

He looks up sharply at the sound of my voice, then relaxes.

"Oh, it's just you." He mutters sleepily. "Hi, Lauren, what are you doing up so early?"

"Uh.. no, actually, the question should be, did you just walk out of Kim's room?" I turn around, and Elodie's standing there behind me, still in her Winnie-the-Pooh patterned pajamas. Her hands are on her hips, and I stifle a laugh, because she looks completely ridiculous right now, what with her hair sticking out, and her pajamas, and the look on her face…

Jack seems a little lost for words. "Umm…" He tilts his head to the side. "I.. umm.. what.. huh?"

Elodie rolls her eyes. "Did you or did you not just walk out of Kim's room?"

"I… did?"

"Okay, then, 'fess up. What were you doing in there, and why?"

"Elodie! It's none of your business!" I chastise her.

"So..?" She gives me a bored look, then turns her attention back to Jack.

"It's okay. Kim just had a bad day yesterday, and I was in her room comforting her." He replies, a little more awake now.

"In the middle of the night?" Elodie looks at him disbelievingly.

"Yes." He sighs, then mumbles something unintelligible.

"You what?" Elodie questions.

"I fell asleep in her room." He looks her in the eye, so I'm pretty sure he's not lying. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes. So does that mean you and Kim are together?" She squeals.

He freezes.

**Jack's POV**

Are we together? I mean, we kissed, but… was that an accident? What if it was, and what if Kim.. What do I say? If I say we're together, but Kim doesn't want to be, and she hears me, she'll be mad. But if I say we aren't, and she wants to be, she might be mad.

So what do I say?

Elodie taps her foot, waiting for an answer.

"No, we're not." I decide to go with the safer option. After all, a kiss doesn't necessarily mean we're going out. I haven't even asked her out.

Elodie groans. "I had so much hope. Well, then, see you guys. I'm going back to bed. Next time, try to talk quieter." She disappears into her room.

"Sorry about her." Lauren apologizes, following me as I walk down the stairs. Yep, I said stairs- the one thing the Academy doesn't have is elevators. "For some odd reason, she really wants you two to start dating."

"That's all right." I respond. "I kind of figured that out."

We part ways once I reach my floor. I run to my door, then flop down on the bed. I've got half an hour till I'm supposed to get up, and I plan on using that time to sleep.

**So.. the reason this chapter is shorter than usual is because I have a question for you guys, and I didn't want to post a chapter with no story in it. I thought that would be sort of annoying, since I do that a lot. **

** So.. I'm planning on ending this story within 5-ish chapters, and I want to know how you guys want to see it end. I'm gonna have to say no sequel requests, because I'm not planning on writing a sequel to this. Sorry! Please review and tell me how you want this story to end! **

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	17. How Hard Can It Be?

**Thanks for telling me what you think! I'll definitely be taking all of your ideas into account when I write the last few chapters : ) Oh, and sorry this update is later than I said it would be, I had internet and laptop problems… and I've been sobbing my eyes out because Olivia's leaving Kickin' It for her new show, I Didn't Do It. For those of you who haven't heard, Kickin It has been renewed for a fourth season (yay!) but Olivia's not gonna be on it (NOOO!).**

** It's tragic… :'( I spent too much time yesterday watching Jack and Kim moments on Youtube and eating ice cream like I just broke up with someone…. But anyways, you guys are here for the story, not my pathetic life haha : )**

** Kim's POV**

I wake up fifteen minutes later than usual, so I have to rush to get ready. Throwing on a lavender t-shirt, a pair of comfy grey sweatpants, and my old purple sneakers, I run out of my room, then realize I forgot to do my hair. As I'm running my favorite hairbrush through my hair, it suddenly occurs to me that, at some point last night, Jack went back to his room without telling me. Is he mad about the kiss? I sure hope not. I rush back out and down the stairs.

As soon as I emerge into the cold morning air, I immediately slow down and feel calmer. I smile. Mornings here have that effect on me- at home, I'm really not a morning person, but here, somehow, I am. It probably has to do with the vibrant sunrises, the cool, clean-smelling air, and how it's just so blissfully silent. I'm gonna miss this so much when I go back home in nineteen days. I've never been anywhere quite this secluded, and I find that I like it a lot. I guess I'm not really as much of a 'city girl' as I used to think I was.

A slight breeze tosses my naturally wavy hair as I make my way to the dining hall, avoiding the cracks in the cobblestone. There's not a lot of kids around, so I'm assuming most of them are either still asleep, in the classrooms, or already in the dining hall. The students here eat in three shifts, since the dining hall can only sit about 250 kids and there's way more than that here. Honestly, it's not a lot if you compare it to the population of Seaford High, but apparently here 750 kids is a lot. It's a lot to feed, anyways…

"Kim!" I look around, wondering who called my name. "Kim!" Jack runs up to me, panting slightly.

"Hey, Jack."

We walk in silence for a bit.

"About last night…" I start, then hesitate, glancing at him.

He seems to be weighing his options.

**Jack's POV**

I can pretend it never happened, I can change the subject… I can.. But what if she didn't like it? What if she hates me now? I think I'm gonna…

You know what?

Forget it.

Pulling her to me on an impulse, I press my lips to hers, and she kisses me back. Just like that, all my worries melt away, leaving me feeling like everything's right with the world. And in that instant, everything is- well, at least, to me, it is.

Breathlessly, I break the kiss, even though I don't want to. Looking into her beautiful.. deep.. beautiful.. okay, get a hold of yourself, Jack. Looking into her eyes, I smile.

"Kim, I.. I've liked you for so long- and you know that, because of my letter. Whenever I'm with you, I can't think about anything else but you." I confess quickly, before I can change my mind.

"What are you saying, Jack?" She smiles shyly at what I'm implying.

I take a deep breath.

"Kim, will you-" I begin nervously.

"Kim!" Rudy yells, jogging towards us.

"Ughhh." I groan in annoyance. "Seriously?"

"Kim! I'm so, so, so, so sorry. I'm a joke of a sensei, and I really shouldn't have yelled at you like I did. I don't know what I was thinking, I called the code of honor stupid, and said so many other senseless things. Will you please forgive me?" Rudy looks at her pleadingly. When she just looks at him, he adds, "Please? Please? Please?"

"Let me think about it." She looks away, then back at him. "No." Seeing the look on his face, she quickly adds, "Rudy, I'm kidding! Of course I forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes, and you're not a joke of a sensei. You're a great sensei." She looks at me, as if expecting me to confirm it.

"Yeah, you're a great sensei." I echo, mildly distracted because I'm thinking of something else.

"Phew. Thanks, Kim! I'm gonna go get some food now. Waffles, here I come!" He cries, charging towards the doors of the dining hall. We watch him go, then Kim turns back to me.

"You were saying, Jack?"

This is my chance.

**Kim's POV**

"Right. Kim, will you go-" he begins again.

"Dude, dude, dude, you're not gonna believe what happened to me." Jerry grabs his arm, pulling him away from me. Jack looks back at me almost longingly, and mouths 'sorry'. I smile sadly as I watch Jerry take him away. "So, you know how you told me to hit on that girl? Well.." Jerry's voice fades away.

I sigh. I'm pretty sure Jack was going to ask me out. What other sentences start with 'Will you go..'?

_Will you go jump off a bridge? _ A little voice in my head suggests snidely. _Will you go throw this in the trash for me? Will you-_

"Oh, shut it." I mutter angrily. "Thanks a lot for ruining my little hopeful, romantic moment."

**Jerry's POV**

"So, you know how you told me to hit on that girl? Well, that girl's name is Sam, and guess what? My swasome pickup lines totally worked on her! I asked her out, and you wouldn't believe what she said." I tell Jack, who's looking behind us.

You know, I don't think he's really listening.

"She said…" I glance at him. He's still looking behind us. Hmm.. I get an idea. "Kim's dating the captain of the football team." If anything's gonna get his attention, that will. After all, it's pretty obvious to me that he likes Kim. Sure, that little blonde chick had to tell me first, but it's still pretty obvious.

He nods. "Cool, Jerry."

Yeah, he's not listening.

Eddie walks by. If Jack won't listen, maybe he'll listen to me. I have a really hot girl as my girlfriend! Gotta spread the news. When people hear about this, girls who wouldn't even look at me before will see me in a totally different light. I'm in a whole new league now!

"See ya, Jack." I head for Eddie.

"Cool, Jerry." He nods.

**A week later…**

** Jack's POV**

This is so frustrating. All week long, I've been trying to ask Kim out, but get this. Each and EVERY time, I get interrupted. Once, I was even interrupted by a really hot flying corndog- long story. The point is, every single day I've tried multiple times to ask Kim out, but it never works! Is it too much to ask to have five minutes alone with her without something happening to distract us?

I've got less than two weeks until she goes back to Seaford. That's not a lot of time. Ugh… how hard can it be to ask the girl of your dreams out?

Apparently, very hard.

**So, yeah, another short chapter. Mostly because I'm having trouble deciding whether to end with everyone at the Academy or in Seaford. Ideas, anyone? : D (By the way, thanks for putting up with this kind of stuff. You guys are totally the best.**

**Oh, by the way, I got an Ask: ask . fm / thoughts_like_stars (without the spaces) come ask me a random question! haha : )**

** Thanks for reading and please review!**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	18. Chapter 18

**I know, I know.. sorry to the Guest who asked me to update- I've been busy with back to school and stuff. Forgive me? **

** Anyways…**

** Two days later.. Rudy's POV**

I cannot believe this just happened to me. This is too good to be true.

"I'm so honored! Wait- you're sure this isn't a joke?" I narrow my eyes suspiciously, pressing the only phone at the Academy closer to my ear. The bill for this phone is so expensive, I don't even want to think about it. It's not even open to students to use, except for in the case of urgent emergencies. Most students don't even know this phone exists.

"I'm sure. Rudy, would I really joke about something like this?" Bobby Wasabi's voice asks on the other end.

"Yes." I mumble.

"What?"

"Never mind. Thank you so much, Bobby! I can't believe you're choosing me, little, insignificant me, to be the sensei of your new dojo." I'm jumping with joy- literally.

"Well.. it wasn't like I had any other choice. All the other senseis turned me down, and well," He tells me in a bored voice.

I interrupt him. "Don't ruin my moment! Have I told you how honored I am?"

"Yes." He groans. "I've got to go now. Bye." He hangs up.

"Yipee!" I yell happily as soon as I'm out of the office. Students turn and stare, but I don't even care.

I can't believe I'm going to be the new sensei of the Bobby Wasabi dojo in the Otai Academy. Bobby said he'd already cleared it with the headmaster and the owner of the school, and he offered me a job as sensei. Yes, that's right. A Bobby Wasabi dojo right here in the Otai Academy. No matter how many times or ways I say it, it still seems so .. so… unbelievable. And me.. as the sensei..

Have I told you how honored I am?

This has got to be the best thing that's ever happened to me. Ever.

A thought strikes me in the midst of my happiness. What am I going to tell the kids? How am I going to tell the kids? They're like family to me… if I leave Seaford to teach here, where are they going to take karate? The Black Dragon dojo?

Nah. They wouldn't do that.

I think I'll hold off telling them for now. I don't want to make them worry.

**Milton's POV**

I read the letter again and again, not quite able to believe what I'm seeing.

_ Milton, honey, I'm so sorry to say that your __Nana passed away last night, at exactly 11:00. It turns out she had a brain aneurysm, and it finally burst. I'm sure you already know what an aneurysm is, so I'm not going to bother to explain it to you. The doctors did their very best to save her, but in the end, their efforts were all futile. _

_ I know how close the two of you were, and I just want to tell you that she wrote you a letter a few hours before she died. She already knew she was going to leave this world, but she insisted on writing you one last time. Her letter's on the back of this one. Remember, she's in a better place now._

_ I love you._

_ Mom_

With shaking hands, I flip the letter over.

_Milton, dear, I know how you're feeling right now. I'm sorry it had to end this way, believe me, I really am. I just want you to know that I love you very much, and am so proud of you for being who you are today. Don't let anyone ever change that._

My face crumples and I start to cry quietly, tears falling on the page. Her usually elegant handwriting gets shakier and shakier as the letter goes on.

_I have left you forty million dollars, already transferred to your bank account. Although I know you will have no trouble getting a scholarship for college, I am entrusting this money to you to use towards your education. Go, apply for one of those good private schools you have always dreamed of going to. Follow your dreams, and please, never quit karate. It has made you into the impeccable young man that you are today._

_ I know what you're feeling right now. Don't you dare worry, you'll be perfectly fine without me. I'll always be in your heart._

_ I love you to the moon and back._

_ Nana_

Tears are rolling down my face now as I flop down onto my bed and start sobbing into my pillows.

This can't be real. She can't be gone. I've got to be dreaming.

How can she be gone?

"Who died?" Eddie jokes, noticing my tears.

I don't answer him, my shoulders shaking.

I hear him sit on my bed beside me.

"Someone died, didn't they?" He asks somberly.

"Mhmm." I reply.

The rustling of paper reaches my ears. Turning my head a little, I see that Eddie has picked up the letter and is reading it. I feel like I should be mad at him.. but I don't have the energy.

"Aw, man.. I'm so sorry, Milton." He sighs, folding up the letter.

I ignore him.

A few hours later, I sit up and wipe my face with my sleeves. How is it that it's already dark outside? Did I fall asleep?

Turning on the lamp, I glance around the room. Rudy's not here, but.. Eddie is? He's asleep on the rug in the middle of my room, snoring quietly.

"Falafel.. yum.." He mumbles, turning over.

What's Eddie doing here?

I cross the room as quietly as I can, doing my best not to wake him. It's useless, though, because he sits up the second I take a step.

"You feeling any better?" He looks at me questioningly.

"No." I moan, sitting down on the floor and wrapping my arms around my knees. "Nana's still gone."

He comes over to me and hugs me. I cry into his shoulder.

"I know how you feel." He comments quietly. "My grandma died last year. I couldn't leave my room for a week."

I don't answer.

"You'll get over this, man, I know you will. I'm here for you, if you want to talk." He offers.

She's gone, she's gone, she's gone..

Nonononono…

**The next morning at breakfast.. Kim's POV**

I pick up my plate and move over so that Jack can sit beside me.

"Hey, have any of you seen Milton, Jerry or Eddie recently?" I question, noticing that neither of them are here yet, nor were they at dinner last night.

"No."

"Nope."

"Sorry, no."

"I'm sure they're fine, Kim." Jack assures me. "Maybe they made some friends and are eating on one of the other shifts."

"Maybe." I say. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Ths second we're both finished our breakfasts, Jack tells me to follow him. Walking out of the dining room, he leads me around to the back wall of the dining hall. It's deserted, and somehow I know that's why we're here. I look at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Hey, Kim, I've been meaning to ask you something for a while." He hesitates.

"What is it, Jack?" I prompt him. I think I know what's coming. Key words: I think.

"Kim,-"

He's interrupted by a loud, "WHOOOO!". Jerry comes sliding around the corner holding a mop.

"Umm.." I'm not sure what to think. What's he doing here?

"Guess what, guys! I got a job as a janitor here! They're paying me so much, it's so swag! I'm so happy!" He swings the back door open, and twirls before dancing inside.

"Ookay.." Jack raises his eyebrows. "Anyways.." He leads me over to a little bench under a cherry blossom tree. It's lit up by the sunlight. I think I like where this is going…

"Kim," He starts to say, picking up my hands and holding them in his. "I know this is sort of random and out-of-the-blue, but," He hesitates slightly.

"Don't worry, just go ahead and tell me." I assure him.

"Okay." He continues. "This is something I should've asked you a long time ago, and it's something I've been trying to ask you for the past week. Will you go out with me?(1)" He bites his lip, smiling, then opens his hand to reveal a small velvet drawstring bag. He gives it to me, and I loosen the strings to open it.

Inside is a delicate silver bracelet with five tiny purple mother-of-pearl hearts hanging from it. I gasp in delight, pulling my favorite necklace out from under my shirt. They match perfectly.

"Jack, I… I'll go out with you, of course I will! I grin at him.

He grins back at me, happily. "That was harder than I thought it would be."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well… you know how I said that I've been trying to ask you out for a week?" He asks.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Every single time I tried, I'd get interrupted. That was what I was trying to ask you before that kid slipped on a banana peel and launched that steaming hot corndog at us." He tells me.

"Oh… oh, yeah, now all those 'will you…'s make so much more sense." I nod.

Ha, take that, little voice inside my head. I told you it wasn't 'will you go buy me more hairspray?'.

"So.. There's not really very many places to go a date at the Academy, but I'll figure something out."

"Okay" I reply.

Jack glances at his watch. "Ugh, I've got to go, sorry, Kim. See ya later." He gives me a peck on the cheek, and with that, he runs off.

I blush and touch the spot he just kissed as I watch him go.

I can't stop smiling.

**(1)Yeah, I know, I used the same phrase/scenario in my other story. Don't worry, I'll try not to use it again. I'll use something different next time.**

**The ending is beginning to come together... thanks for reading! If you're ever bored, please come ask me random and weird questions on my ask (check my profile for the link) because I just really love answering people's questions. I don't know why. See ya next time and please review!**

**Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey again! This story is coming to a close- I think I'll write one or two more chapters after this, then it'll be done. So.. yeah. Hope you like! **

** Eddie's POV**

"Milton, Milton, Milton!" I shake him as hard as I can. He's still lying on the floor in the same position as he was in last night, and though I know he's awake, he refuses to get up or even move.

"Dude, you can't lie there forever. Sitting around and moping is not going to make your grandma come back." Okay, maybe that was a tiny bit harsh.

"Unghhh.. no.." Milton groans. Well, at least we're making some progress. Two hours ago, he wouldn't even talk to me. Even a groan makes me happy.

"Milton, come on, please. It's been ages since either of us ate. You know I can't stand being starving." I shake him again. "Come on, please!"

"Don't care. Wanna starve." He mumbles, hiding his face with his arm.

"Really, you gotta get up."

"Nooo.." He moans. "She's gone."

"I know she's gone." I say as gently as I can. "But she wouldn't want you to lie on the floor sobbing your eyes out. She would want you to get up and live the rest of your life in a way that would make her proud."

Milton looks up at me with an expression on his face that seems to be a mixture of awestruck and disbelief.

"Holy Christmas Nuts, did you just say that, Eddie?" He stares at me.

"I think so." I reply.

"That was probably the most inspirational thing I've ever heard you say." He tells me.

"Oh.. thanks. Hey, now that you're up, can we please go eat now?" I whine. He collapses to the ground again. "No, no, no. You've gotta get up."

"I don't want to." He grumbles. "But you know what? I think you're right. My grandma wouldn't want this for me. Fine, I'll get up." Picking himself up off the ground, he flashes a shaky smile at me. "Let's go eat."

"Yes, finally!" I cheer. He walks out of the room before I do, and I watch him as we walk down the hallway, just in case he decides to collapse again. He doesn't.

You know, I don't think anyone gives Milton enough credit. He's a lot stronger, both inside and out, than he really looks. Sure, Jack may be the black belt and the one with the hero complex, but Milton?

Milton's been training so hard for the past few months, and just now, I watched him get over his grandma's death in less than twenty-four hours. It took me two months to get over my grandma's death. And I don't think that he got over her death because he doesn't care about her, in fact, I know it's the opposite. I think- no, I know- that he got up and left the room because he's just that strong.

I never thought I would admire Milton so much.

**Jack's POV**

Rudy staggers into the dining hall. He looks like he hasn't slept for ages- there are huge purple bags under his eyes, which are half closed, and he just looks so _tired_. As he comes closer, I realize he's smiling. Why is he smiling? He looks terrible.

"Hey, Kim." He waves tiredly at me. "Hi, Jack." He smiles at Kim.

"Uhh.. Rudy.." Kim starts to correct him, but he's already moved away.

"I wonder what happened to him." I muse.

"Yeah.." Kim murmurs. "I'm really worried about him."

"Me too." I agree.

Kim looks really pretty today. I like it when she leaves her hair natural and lets it down. She sees me looking at her and flashes a beautiful smile at me, and it's all I can do not to kiss her right there, in the middle of the crowded dining hall.

Rudy comes walking back to us with a tray in his hands.

"Rudy, what happened to you? When was the last time you slept?" Kim regards him, concerned.

"Meh.. two decades ago?" Rudy flops down on the seat.

"What?" We ask in unison.

"Oops, I mean two days ago." He corrects himself.

Milton and Eddie slide into the seats beside Rudy. Milton's eyes are red and puffy, sort of like he's been crying. Eddie puts a comforting hand on his back.

Okay, why does it seem like Kim and I are the only two having a good day today?

Eddie sees us looking at Milton. "His grandma died." He whispers.

"Oh." Kim nods understandingly.

"I'm so sorry, man." I reach over and hug Milton. He hugs me back limply.

"You okay?" Kim asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, guys."

"Okay.. if you're sure." Eddie replies.

**Kim's POV**

I sigh and glance at Jack. Today we were planning on telling our friends that we're dating now. But since it looks like everyone's sort of under the weather today, I guess we're not going to anymore.

Jack shakes his head at me slightly, before turning back to Milton. Yep, I guess we're not gonna tell them then.

**Four more days later… Rudy's POV (six days until the wasabi warriors go back to Seaford)**

I called all the kids together, and we're meeting in the room that Milton and I share. All they know is that I've got a big announcement to make- they don't know what it is yet. They don't know what I'm going to tell them will mean that the Bobby Wasabi dojo in Seaford will be closing. In fact, they probably think what I have to tell them is good news. Well, it's good news for me, but not for them, because the only other dojo in town is the Black Dragons' dojo. Not that I'm not going to miss them, though.

When I get there, Jack, Kim, Milton, Eddie, and Jerry are already sprawled out on the floor. Milton's hugging a pillow. You might be wondering why Jack's here, too, since he's technically not my student anymore. I don't know, it just felt right to invite him.

"Hey, Rudy. What's the 'big announcement'?" Jack makes air quotes with his hands.

"Well… okay." I wonder how they're going to take this news.

"Last week, I got a call from Bobby Wasabi. He told me that he will be opening a Bobby Wasabi chain dojo right here at the Academy." I continue.

"So..?" Jerry looks really bored.

"So.. he offered me a job as the sensei of it." I say, a little scared to see what they'll think.

"You turned it down because you're our sensei, right?" Eddie asks.

Oh, no.

"Umm… actually…. I…." I stammer. I really can't let these kids down. But I have to tell them the truth.

"No, I didn't. I'm relocating here, guys. I'm no longer the sensei of the Seaford Bobby Wasabi." I confess.

All their heads snap to face me.

"What?"

"No.."

"You did what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not our sensei?"

"Who.. what.. what..?"

"Yeah, I'm not your sensei anymore." I say sadly.

"So then who's replacing you?" Jerry looks confused, and he probably is.

"No one. The dojo's closing. Bobby's already sold it."

Their eyes widen.

"What? Where will we take karate? I'm not going to Ty's dojo." Kim wrinkles her nose in disgust.

"Yeah. I'm not going to Ty's dojo." Milton echoes.

I sigh. "I don't know, guys, and I'm so sorry. I just couldn't pass this up! A chance to be a sensei at the Otai Academy.. it's been my dream for as long as I can remember."

"We understand, Rudy." Kim looks at the ground.

"Well, I gotta go." Jack says, jumping to his feet. "I've got karate in five minutes, and I can't be late. Kim, you coming?" He extends his hand to her. They told us they were dating yesterday, and we're all thrilled for them. Jerry's convinced he knew it was going to happen. He keeps on telling us he saw it in a dream or something.

"Yeah. Bye, guys." They leave the room, and the other three trail behind them, all muttering excuses of their own on their ways out.

I sit down on the edge of my bed and sigh. I'm gonna miss them so much. Oh well, at least I'll have Jack.

** Kim's POV, later that night.**

As I'm getting ready for bed, it occurs to me that, now that Rudy's not going to be struggling with the dojo anymore, there's only one thing holding me back from accepting the scholarship. And that's the cost of my little sister's dance lessons.

I'm so close to going to this school. There's got to be a way I can send money home to her from here, somehow.

That's it! I can get a part- time job like Jerry did, and send her the money that I earn! Hopefully, it'll be enough to pay for her dance lessons.

I bounce on my bed like a little kid. Tomorrow, I'll tell the headmaster that I reconsidered. Hopefully, the offer is still standing.

**The next day… (Five days until the wasabi warriors leave Japan)**

** Kim's POV**

"I've reconsidered taking the scholarship." I look at the headmaster hopefully. His face is impossible to read. "Would there be any way your previous offer is still standing?"

His face softens. "Of course it is still standing. This is wonderful news. You are extremely talented, and it would be an honor to have you study here. Welcome to your home for the next four years."

**Was it horrible? Okay? Great? Please review and tell me! I didn't have time to read this one over, as I'm in a big hurry, so sorry if it's not as good as usual.**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


	20. I Never Really Did Give Up On Us

**Well, this is it. The last chapter. I really hope you like it! I've been trying to rush it since my parents are only giving me two hours a week to write when I go back to school, and I plan on using that for the sequel to The Story of Us. But… I took my time on this last chapter. Just for you!**

** Previously on I Won't Give Up On Us..**

** Kim's POV**

"I've reconsidered taking the scholarship." I look at the headmaster hopefully. His face is impossible to read. "Would there be any way your previous offer is still standing?"

His face softens. "Of course it is still standing. This is wonderful news. You are extremely talented, and it would be an honor to have you study here. Welcome to your home for the next four years."

** Still Kim's POV**

Phew. I'm glad I got that over with. I was really scared he would tell me that, no, the offer was no longer standing. And what would I do then?

I squeal happily and reach over the table to hug him. He sits there, a little stunned.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I let go of him, smiling almost as big as the Cheshire Cat, though hopefully it wasn't anywhere near as creepy.

"You're welcome." He replies. "I'll see that you have everything you need brought to you. You may leave." He smiles warmly at me.

I rush through the hallways, looking for Jerry. I've got to find out where he got his job.

**Milton's POV**

I'm walking through the hallways of the school, enjoying the blissful silence and thinking of my grandmother when someone blurs past me, blonde hair flying.

Kim?

Just like that, she's gone. Wonder why she's in such a hurry…

I go back to my previous train of thought. I can't stop thinking about how, in her final letter, she told me to use her money to go to a 'good private school you have always dreamed of going to'. I've been thinking it over, and, well, I'm thinking I want to apply to a good karate school. Maybe I can go to the one in Switzerland, the Swiss Karate Academy, I think. Or I can apply to … maybe the one in France. I think I'll go fill those applications out now. I can probably get them from the office, or something.

I begin to head back to my dorm room, mulling the thought over. I've got to start packing, we're leaving Japan soon.

I think both of those schools cost about fifty thousand a year to go to. I'll definitely have enough.

**Jerry's POV**

"Hey, Butch." I grab my mop and my bucket and greet the other janitor on my way out of the rather large janitor's closet. He's a huge guy, about 6'4'', and I've heard he's got long-term memory or something. Or maybe it was short- term. Long term, short term, I figure it's the same thing, right? They're both terms.

"Hi, Jerry. Oh! Jerry! There was something I was supposed to tell you." He pauses, as if he's trying to remember.

"Oh, yeah? What is it?"

He snaps his fingers. "Got it! Benny- you know Benny, right? The guy who's in charge of hiring workers here? Well, Benny told me to tell you that you're doing such a good job. Oh, there was one more thing… got it! He had a.. had a…. proposal for you.. he asked if you wanted to stay here at the Academy and keep the job. If you say yes, he said he's going to work something out with the headmaster so you can attend school here, too."

For a second, I stare at him.

"WHOOOOO! That's swag! Tell him I said yes and thanks! See ya, Butch!" I spin the mop around and dip it (like, you know, the dancing thing? Not dip it in a bucket) before heading towards the door.

"Oh! Jerry! There was something I was supposed to tell you." He pauses again.

"What?"

He snaps his fingers. "Got it! Benny, you know Benny, right? The guy who's in charge of hiring workers here? Well, Benny-"

I cut him off. "Heard it, Butch. See ya."

Yep, he's definitely got long-term memory.

**Kim's POV**

I find Jerry mopping the floor in the Tae Kwon Do dojo and whistling happily. I sigh. When you're looking for something or someone, they're always in the last place you look.

"Jerry!" I approach him. He ignores me. "Jerry?"

"Go away, Butch. I heard it already, I told you." He mutters angrily without even looking up.

"Jerry? It's not Butch, it's me, Kim."

He finally looks up. "What's up?"

"I was wondering where you got your job.. and, if maybe, you could help me get one too?"

"Oh, yeah, I got my job from this guy named Benny. He wears a suit.. and a tie…with flip-flops.. and he has cool hair." He nods before going back to mopping.

"Umm.. okay. Where can I find him, though?"

"I don't know." He replies.

I groan. "Thanks for the help, Jerry."

"You're welcome." He grins.

I shake my head. "You're hopeless, Jerry, you know?"

**Jack's POV**

I walk into the supply store, noticing that the walls have been repainted for the fifth time in the past four months. First they were baby blue, then lilac, then the most hideous shade of dark orange, then pale green. Now, they're a light, soothing yellow. The place still reeks faintly of fresh paint, and the colored lights hanging from the high ceiling bathe the entire store in a soft glow. All in all, it is, no doubt about it, the strangest looking store I have ever seen, and probably will ever see.

Elodie waves to me from where she's sitting on her favorite high stool behind the checkout counter.

"Elodie, I need your help." As I speak, she's fingering the many bracelets on her right wrist.

"What with?"

"Okay, so you know how I asked Kim out last week, right?" I'm pretty sure I told her about this already…

"You what?" She stares at me as what I just said sinks in. "Yes! Yes! I knew it! Whoo!"

I give her a questioning look.

"Sorry, I've been hanging around Jerry too much." She shrugs sheepishly. "But anyways… You need my help? Oooh.. is it a date with Kim?" Squealing, she waits expectantly for my next words.

"Umm.. yeah. You know how there's no good places to take a girl on a date here, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She groans. "One time, this guy named Rick asked me out, and I was expecting this whole amazing date like he promised me, right? But then when I showed up, -"

I interrupt her. "Elodie…."

"Sorry. You were saying?"

I quickly explain my idea to her, making sure no one else hears us.

When I'm done, she stares at me like she's never seen me before.

"Wow.. Jack, that's genius." She continues to stare at me.

"Thank you." I reply. It comes out a little cockier than I meant it to be. Oh, well.

"So you need all these things when..?" She gestures to the list of supplies I passed to her.

"In…five days." I bite my lip.

"Talk about short notice. Well, I'll do my best to get all this stuff to you. I think we have, like, half of it in the back room. Ooh, Kim is gonna love this! She's so lucky to have a boyfriend like you." Excited, Elodie rushes through the beaded curtain covering the door to the back room to begin looking for what I need.

"Bye." I call after her. She doesn't hear me.

I'm walking out of the store when I see Kim.

"Hey, Kim." I hurry over to her. "Where you been? You weren't in class earlier."

"Jack. Hey. I have some good news."

"What? They're letting us have waffles for breakfast?" I ask excitedly.

"No." She rolls her eyes. "I accepted!"

"Accepted what?" I cock my head, looking at her happy face.

"The scholarship, duh. I'm going to stay!" She cries.

No. Freaking. Way.

"Wha?" Is all I can manage to say.

"Aren't you happy, Jack?"

"Of course I am!" Picking her up, I spin her around before setting her back on the ground and kissing her passionately.

She breaks the kiss quickly and runs off, muttering something about asking Elodie for a job.

Oh, she is gonna love the surprise I have for her.

**Five days later... **

** Milton's POV**

"You ready, Eddie?" I ask, walking out of my dorm room with my bags trailing behind. He's already standing in the hallway waiting for me. "The cab's gonna be here in ten."

"Yeah, I'm ready. We'd better go meet the others at the front. Come on." Eddie says. I follow him down the stairs.

When we finally get to the front after five minutes of lugging our bags down the stairs, I see that everyone we've met- Elodie, Lauren, Luke, Sam, Elliot, and all the others- are there to see us off. I smile. We've got such amazing friends.

Kim, Jack, Jerry and Rudy are also there. But… why don't Kim and Jerry have anything with them? They're coming with us, right?

As Eddie exchanges goodbyes with the others, I walk up to Kim and Jerry.

"Guys… where are your bags?" I question.

"Umm.. yeah. That's the thing. Some things worked out, and, well, I'm staying. I accepted the scholarship." Kim looks at the floor. "I'm sorry, Milton. I'm not coming."

I nod. "I thought so. Don't worry about it." I smile at her. "But what about you, Jer?"

"I got an offer to keep working as the janitor. It's too swag to pass up. I'm livin' the high life!" He shrugs apologetically.

"Okay…" I reply. "So you're both not coming with us, right?"

"Yep." Kim nods.

An idea begins to form in my mind as I make my way over to Eddie. I haven't sent the applications to those other karate schools in yet… My grandma left me 40 million… Kim, Jack, Rudy and Jerry are now staying here… What if…?

"Hey, Eddie.." I tap his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"How would you like to stay in Japan and go to school here?" I offer him. "My grandma left me enough money not only to pay for my own tuition, but mine too. I figure since Kim and Jerry are staying, and Rudy got a job here, we're going to need somewhere to take karate, right?"

His mouth drops open, and his eyes tear up a little.

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course. You were there for me when I needed you, and besides, you deserve it."

"Thanks, you're awesome, man." Eddie hugs me.

"Guys, we're not leaving. " I raise my voice to be heard. "Eddie and I are going to stay and go to school here."

"For real?" Luke asks, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah."

"WHOO! You're staying too!" Jerry twirls around.

We all laugh.

**Later that day…Jack's POV**

"You guys are the best. Thanks for helping me." I rip a piece of tape off the dispenser and stick it to the ceiling.

"No problem." Elodie and Lauren chorus.

"She's gonna love this." Elodie smiles.

"Well, she's getting here in about three minutes. It's probably time that we get out of here." Lauren winks at me, then she and Elodie pick up the rest of the stuff and leave.

**Kim's POV**

"Jack?" I knock on his door tentatively. "I got your note and came right away."

"Come in." His voice is muffled by the thick wooden door.

I push it open.

"Why's it so dark in here? Your lights broken or something?" It's nearly pitch black inside, but the light streaming in from the hallway lightens it a little. The door closes, extinguishing my only source of light.

"Nope. It's supposed to be that way." I feel Jack come up to me. Taking my hand, he leads me over to what I think is the middle of the room. He sits down, so I do, too, noting that instead of his rug, there's a soft fleece blanket spread out on the floor.

"Lie down." He murmurs quietly, reaching over me and grabbing something.

"What?"

"Lie down. I wanna show you something, and you have to be lying down to see it."

"Okay.."

"Ready?" He asks.

"I guess so." I respond.

"Okay…" I hear the click of a button.

In that next instant, his entire ceiling lights up. Thousands of tiny lights come to life, illuminating the room. They're arranged… in constellations? Suddenly, I realize what this is.

I gasp in delight. "Jack… you… How… it's the exact same view of the sky I get from my roof at home!"

"I know." I can hear the smile in his voice, and trust me, that's one of the best things I have ever heard in my life. "I was just gonna show you the stars from the roof here, but I thought this would mean more to you."

"Jack, I love it. This is amazing. You're the best." Gazing at the tiny stars on the ceiling, I notice that they even flicker slightly like real stars. "This must've taken you forever."

"Yeah, even with help, it did. But you know what? You're worth it." He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as I watch the tiny lights in wonder. And that's how we fall asleep, me in his arms, snuggling against his chest. I

In that instant, I get the feeling that everything's right with the world- all the Wasabi Warriors are staying here in Japan, Rudy's got an amazing new job, and I'm right where I should be. With Jack.

You know, I never really did give up on us.

**So… what did you think? Please hit that review button and let me know!**

** Unfortunately, I will not be writing a sequel to this story, as I will not have time for it because of schoolwork and the like. That being said, if any of you want to take it upon yourself to write a sequel for this story, just PM me with your summary for the sequel. We can talk about it further then.**

** So.. yeah. Another story is finished… You guys have been the best readers I could ask for, and hopefully, you'll stick with me through my next few stories! Love you all so much.**

** Xoxo, lovelifeandwatermelons**


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